Blaine Little
by threetequilafloor
Summary: All Blaine wants is a little romance. Only problem is, he's only four and a half inches tall. Throw in a true friend in need and a supercilious cat and you've got a Stuart Little-inspired story.
1. Prologue

**Author's note: **So this may just be one of the crackiest things I have ever written. And I offer my sincerest apologies to E.B. White, but this story would not leave my head. I have also unintentionally added a reference to _The Land of Stories; _those of you that have read the book might pick up on it later on.

* * *

When Blaine Anderson first arrived at Dalton Academy for Orphaned Boys, everyone noticed that he was not much bigger than a mouse. The truth of the matter was, Blaine was definitely not a mouse; he was a human being, _thank-you very much_. He had just happened to find himself in a rather unfortunate and peculiar situation, which left him with no parents and quite a few inches shorter than what he used to be.

But I'll let Blaine tell you that story himself someday.

It was the Headmaster's personal secretary, Mrs Frederick, who found Blaine Anderson that cold November evening, pale and shivering in the cool night air. Back then, Mrs Frederick had thick round spectacles which she wore at all times attached to a chain around her neck, and a curly head of brown hair which had sprouted a few strands of silver. The moment she laid eyes on Blaine was the moment she claims her silver hair had started to overtake her natural color.

She had picked up the tiny straw basket on the doorstep of the Headmaster's building and the young boy within covered in a wine-colored beret. He was fast asleep but pulled the beret closer to him and trembled. Because of his size she guessed that he could not be more than six or seven; in fact, Blaine had turned eight years old only two days before. Mrs Frederick pushed her glasses up to her nose and squinted. A hastily scrawled note was tucked beside the beret. Carefully, Mrs Frederick pulled the note from underneath the small boy, who snuffled in his sleep and turned over, shivering again.

The note read:

_I would be forever indebted to Dalton Academy and its staff for looking after my son, Blaine Anderson, in my absence. I believe the sum provided for tuition and care will suffice. _

_- Mr Anderson_

It was indeed sufficient; Mrs Frederick placed a hand over her mouth and scanned the number of zeros on the cheque she found in the mail days later to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

The Headmaster placed a rule, more for Blaine's safety than anything else, for those who worked or studied at Dalton Academy to keep Blaine Anderson's existence a secret. He was a good student and over the years managed to make a great deal of curious friends due to his unique size, but in his early years he was branded a tiny troublemaker. He managed to find himself in all spots of bother; Mrs Frederick can clearly recall the day she found Blaine on the Headmaster's desk, trapped in a glass half-filled with water and the Headmaster's dentures.

One thing that Mrs Frederick noticed in those early years was that Blaine loved to entertain, so when he was old enough, she encouraged him to join the Warblers, a group of boys who sang songs acapella and competed against other groups in show choir competitions. From then on, Blaine rarely found himself in mischief. Despite being the youngest member of the Warblers, he became their lead singer during rehearsals; during competitions, he watched them compete from the sidelines, hidden from the view of nosy strangers.

Despite the opportunity to sing and no shortage of people to talk to, Blaine would often feel a little unhappiness every now and then. He would listen with a little envy in his heart when the other boys would talk about the girls they flirted with or went out on dates with. While he didn't care too much for girls, he often wished he was tall enough to reach up and kiss someone. He would sometimes think back to the movies of his childhood, where by the end bad spells were lifted and the heroes and heroines would live happily ever after. While he knew happily ever after's were the stuff of fairy tales, romance was the one thing he craved above all else. Though to Blaine's disappointment, he knew it was something he may never have.

So it is eight years to the day that Blaine Anderson arrived at Dalton that our story begins, during a rather heated discussion with the infamous Warbler Council. Little did Blaine know that it would be the beginning of a wonderful adventure.


	2. Chapter I

'And I still think it's dangerous,' Wes countered back, sitting back in his chair and folding his arms.

'But he said he could do it!' Trent shouted, gesticulating to the person beside him. 'They paid us a visit; why not pay them one back?'

'Because it's not like Blaine can exit quickly and look out for himself if things go wrong,' David interjected. 'It's not gentlemanly to be spying on others, and it's not the Dalton way.'

'Why does everything have to be the Dalton way?'

'Are you trying to criticize our school's moral traditions?'

'Guys, please!'

A hush fell upon the Warbler Council and they all looked towards the source of the additional voice. Despite being very small, Blaine always had the ability to command the attention of the group whenever he first spoke.

'I understand the dangers of sneaking into another school and spying on the competition,' Blaine said, with a pointed look at Wes. 'Which is why Trent and I will be taking extra precautions to ensure I won't be seen. And,' he continued, raising his chin at David. 'I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself.'

Wes sighed and placed his thumb and forefinger to his temple. 'Blaine, you're four inches tall.'

'Four and a half,' Blaine responded. 'And I turned sixteen two days ago.'

'That's irrelev-'

'Blaine has a point,' Thad interrupted, as Blaine voiced a _thank-you_ in his direction. 'If he understands the dangers, and if Trent can arrange that he can't be detected, then why not hold that advantage over our competition?'

Wes threw up his hands. 'Are you suggesting we break the school rules? Because that's what it seems like you are suggesting, Thad. Not to mention that he could end up _dead._'

'That won't-' Blaine began.

'Now that's being a tad overdramatic, Wesley, and that's coming from me,' Trent replied.

'It is not without reason,' Wes shot back. 'And I _hate_ being called Wesley.'

'Wes and I are just concerned for his safety,' David said. 'Who knows what will happen if he gets caught?'

'I-' Blaine tried to counteract with _I won't get caught_, but Thad butted in.

'I propose a vote on this matter.'

Wes huffed in frustration. 'Is that really necessary?'

'Seeing that it has taken up the agenda at today's meeting, I believe so,' David told him, as Thad stood up from his seat. He cleared his throat and looked around the room.

'All those in favor of Blaine Anderson visiting William McKinley High School and seeing what we are up against for Sectionals?'

The majority of hands in the room shot up in the air, Thad's included.

'All those opposed to…' Thad's voice trailed off as he watched Wes stand up and pull a thick hardcover book bearing the Dalton crest from the shelf behind him.

Blaine stood up on tiptoes, unable to see what Wes had started to flick through.

'What's going on?' he whispered up to Trent, who was sitting on the couch beside him.

'He's taken out the Rulebook,' Trent whispered back, eyes flicking down to Blaine standing on the armrest and back to Wes. 'I hate it when he does that.'

Wes threw Trent a glare as he continued flicking through the book. He finally stopped at one page and tapped a finger to it.

'Page one hundred and ninety-four, Section C, rule seventy-one,' he announced, as Thad sat down reluctantly. 'Any pupil in the charge of, or attending Dalton Academy for Orphaned Boys who leaves the school without prior permission from a member of faculty or without prior written consent from a guardian will be suspended from all extracurricular activities for six weeks or as determined by the head of faculty. Any pupil proven to have assisted another pupil with leaving the school without prior permission or written consent will be administered the aforementioned punishment. Now,' Wes replied, shutting the book and scanning the room. 'All those in favor?'

This time, only a few Warblers raised their hands, and did so reluctantly. Blaine and Trent could see with one glance that they were clearly in the minority.

'And all opposed?'

Wes and David raised one hand in the air, along with the remaining Warblers. Ignoring Wes and David's gaze, Thad sighed and raised his hand.

'Decided,' Wes announced, as the others lowered their hands. He turned to Trent and Blaine. 'I'm sorry, but the rules are in place for a reason and we cannot compromise on your safety.' He pushed the Rulebook to one side. 'Next order of business?'

'Next order of business is determining if we should persuade the student representative council to change the drapes in the dormitories to reflect the colors of the uniform.'

A collective groan arose from the boys and Jeff, who was sitting beside Nick, piped up: 'I think we're running overtime.'

'So we are,' David said, glancing at the clock above the fireplace. He looked between Wes and a dejected Thad. 'How about we discuss this matter for next time?'

Wes nodded, picking up his gavel and banging it once.

'Adjourned. Council and Warblers dismissed.'

...

Blaine's shadow barely made a presence as he walked along the hallway besides the senior classrooms. It was past eight o'clock, and he still had an hour and a half before curfew. His footsteps made light tapping sounds on the tiled floor. The hallway was deserted; all the boys were either finishing off a late dinner, studying or chilling back in their dorms.

Despite its traditions and trappings of a distinguished place of learning, Dalton itself was rather unusual. Part orphanage, part private all-boys' school, the majority of students who attended had been enrolled by wealthy family members, rich uncles and aunts who tolerated their nephews' return every summer when tuition ceased. There was only one student who had no other immediate family to go to, and he was silently making his way to the senior common room where the Warblers often rehearsed.

Blaine slipped through the crack in the double doors and approached the window. The moonlight cast a faint light in the room, enough to illuminate a cage and the tiny yellow bird that sat within it. Blaine stepped up to the small bookcase and climbed (he was so used to climbing that it came effortlessly) until he reached the windowsill. He clasped his hands together and peered at the bird closely.

'Pavarotti? You awake?'

Blaine had inherited riches from his father; the ability to understand animals he had inherited from his mother. Not wanting to stand out even more that he already had, Blaine chose to keep that particular trait a secret.

The canary opened one eye, and then another, lifting his head to gaze at Blaine. It was not the first time that Blaine had sought his counsel so late in the evening.

'I'm always awake for you, little one,' Pavarotti chirped, adjusting himself so that he was standing up straight. 'What brings you here this evening?'

'I don't know,' Blaine sighed, sitting down on the window ledge. 'Just visiting, I guess.'

Pavarotti tilted his head. 'Are you still upset about not being able to spy on the competition?'

'Word travels fast.'

'You didn't have to tell me,' Pavarotti replied, stretching out his wings and contracting them again. 'But that's not the real reason you're upset.'

'Yeah.' Blaine drew his knees up to his chest and placed his head in his hands. He knew it was no use complaining about the meeting held that day; the Council's decision was final. 'Sometimes... sometimes I think I'll be stuck here forever and nothing will change, you know? And Wes and David are graduating next year and soon the other Warblers will be graduating and I'll be on my own again…'

'You'll never be alone,' Pavarotti said gently.

'I know. I guess I just want what they have for once. Freedom to come and go as I please.'

'I know the feeling.' Pavarotti adjusted himself on his perch. 'But, you know, it doesn't have to be that way forever.'

Blaine shook his head and smiled. 'I heard you're getting a junior Warbler soon.'

Pavarotti shuffled his wings proudly. 'Another young Warbler to look after me! Yes, I am quite chuffed about it.' When Blaine looked away, the bird lowered his voice.

'Blaine, life's all about taking risks. We can't leave everything up to fate. Sometimes we have to decide to be brave enough to take that first step if we want things to change.'

Blaine looked up. 'Are you suggesting -?'

'Not suggesting anything,' Pavarotti quickly responded, with a flick of his feathered wing. 'Curfew's coming up, isn't it?'

'Soon.'

'Off to bed then.' Blaine stood up as Pavarotti circled his wings around himself. 'Goodnight, little one.'

'Goodnight,' Blaine whispered back.

...

Blaine had his own entrance to the dormitory he shared with Nick and Jeff. It was quite useful as it lead to his bed, desk and wardrobe, which rested on a small side table. He was glad for the opportunity to stay in the dormitories; he was treated no differently from the other orphans who resided there, despite his distinctive needs.

As he got closer to his room, he heard the familiar sound of conversation. Though instead of it being lively and boisterous, it was hushed and spoken in turn. He managed to catch a part of it as he walked up the ramp to his bed.

'-And I say we don't need the Council's permission. Who's going to stop us if they don't know?'

Trent stopped talking as soon as he caught sight of Blaine. Nick greeted him and Jeff began to speak.

'Hey Blaine, we were thinking-'

In that moment, Blaine felt a surge of something; a certain courage or boldness, he wasn't sure. But he sure needed it.

'I know,' he said, interrupting Jeff. 'Tomorrow, then?'

Jeff, Trent and Nick all looked at one another. Trent was the first to break the silence.

'Are you sure about this?'

'No,' Blaine replied, and he hopped up on his bed, stretching and yawning widely. 'But, really - when can we ever be sure about anything?'

When he looked back up at the other three boys, not one of them could hide their grins.

'Tomorrow it is,' Trent replied.


	3. Chapter II

Trent was quiet at breakfast as Nick and Jeff reviewed their plans for covering for their absences at Dalton that afternoon. He was silent in the car while he drove to McKinley and he was silent when he got out. Only when he was walking across the car park to the school's entrance did he recall his ability to speak.

'This is going to look suspicious,' he hissed to his satchel. 'We're going to get caught for sure. Why did we agree to this?'

'Okay, firstly…' came a muffled voice from inside the satchel. '_We_ agreed to this because _I_ have faith that we can pull it off. And we're out of uniform, so we're not going to get caught.'

'But Nick and Jeff-'

'-can handle Wes and have your phone number to call if things go wrong,' Blaine finished for him. He sat in the front pocket of the satchel and looked out through the slit where the pocket gaped open. Though his voice was calm, inside he was a bundle of nerves and excitement. It wasn't the first time he had sneaked out of Dalton, but it was still a thrill to him. He felt Trent pick up his walking pace as the school bell signalling the end of classes for the day rang throughout the concrete grounds.

When Trent slipped into the hallway, there was a sea of color, noise and students; calling out to one another as they walked by, slamming their locker doors shut and moving with their bags toward the exit. As he and Trent has discussed the night before, they were to arrive at McKinley in time for the school's afternoon extra-curricular activities, of which he knew their glee club would be in session, either discussing set lists or rehearsing. They had established that the session would be in either a music room of some sort or the auditorium, so Trent would scope out the likely areas while Blaine would remain behind and keep an eye out for anyone that would even remotely pass as a member of New Directions. Then Trent would sneak Blaine in to their meeting, Blaine would leave when he had gathered enough intelligence and he and Trent would make their merry way back to Dalton. That was the plan, and last night neither Blaine nor Trent found fault with it.

Trent stopped suddenly, and Blaine knocked his head on the material opposite him, ceasing his train of thought.

'Sorry,' Trent whispered above him. 'I've seen him before.'

Blaine stood up on his toes and peeked through the gap. A few feet away stood a pale boy with light brown coiffed hair, placing his textbooks carefully into his open satchel.

'I recognize him,' Blaine whispered back. 'That's Kurt.'

'The guy that spied on us?'

Blaine knew he wouldn't forget Kurt in a hurry. As soon as he had heard a soft voice address a group of boys with _Excuse me, I'm new here_ at Dalton a few weeks ago, he had immediately dived behind a potted plant. Blaine was never accused of being shy around strangers, only those that hadn't been integrated into Dalton yet. Judging from his makeshift uniform (stylish, he had hastened to admit), the boy had not been told of the existence of a four and a half inch student. The Warblers didn't question Blaine's absence when their lead singer failed to show up for their crowd-pleasing rendition of _Teenage Dream_, nor did they mention his name when they introduced themselves to Kurt. Blaine watched behind the clock on the mantelpiece, completely mesmerized by the joy, apprehension and other range of emotions that flitted across the boy's face as he watched their performance. Not long after, Kurt was discreetly accosted out in the hallway by David and Wes, and that was the last Blaine had seen of him. Until today, that was.

'Put me down,' Blaine whispered quickly to Trent, aware that Trent was standing in the middle of a hallway with students trying to dodge him. 'I've got this.'

Trent did as he was told, setting his satchel down in a gap between a row of lockers where it wouldn't get trampled on. Blaine heard his footsteps walk away in search of the glee club's rehearsal space.

Blaine watched Kurt silently as he closed the door of his locker and fiddled with the clasp on his satchel. He could feel the floor beneath him shake as two jocks walked past, barely slowing down as they approached Kurt at his locker.

'Hey ladyboy!'

Blaine felt his jaw drop as the two jocks pushed Kurt without warning; the force so strong that the boy was slammed into the lockers, causing him to stumble and fall. Blaine gasped and covered his mouth, watching on in horror as Kurt's body crumbled to the ground: the sound of footsteps and loud laughter echoing away. A little shaken from the encounter, Kurt attempted to sit up, hissing in pain when he straightened his right shoulder.

For a while Kurt sat there, breathing shallowly while staring across the hallway at nothing in particular. He sat there as students quickly passed by, directing their gaze elsewhere. He sat there without noticing that a tiny boy had scrambled out of a nearby satchel and was now climbing his way into his own bag. Sighing, he stood up and placed the strap of his satchel over his left shoulder.

Blaine had found himself a comfortable interior pocket to slip into, but he jumped as a hand reached inside the bag, missing him by centimetres. Instead, it clutched around a cell phone in a pocket beside him. Blaine breathed a sigh of relief and felt his nostrils fill with a fresh, minty scent. When he looked down he noticed an open packet of Wrigley's gum wedged beside a notebook and a set of keys. He watched through the bag as Kurt scrolled through his phone, tapping out a message to a Mercedes Jones about skipping glee club practise that day before pressing send.

Blaine didn't have time to ponder the implications of the message as he heard a set of footsteps and the sound of objects being pushed aside. He peeked out from Kurt's bag and sure enough, Trent has returned and was kneeling on the floor, vigorously searching through his bag. By some miracle he managed to raise his head; his mouth dropped open as he made eye contact with Blaine. Blaine raised a finger to his lips in a _ssh_ motion but that didn't stop Trent from scrambling to his feet.

'Uhh…' Trent began, addressing Kurt as his gaze flickered down to Blaine. 'Your…your satchel.'

'What about my satchel?' came Kurt's melodic voice, though Blaine thought it sounded tired.

'I-' Trent visibly gulped. 'I think you have my satchel.'

'Since I retrieved it from my locker, I'm pretty sure it's _my_ satchel,' Kurt replied with a hint of mockery.

'Well…it might be _your_ satchel,' Trent sassed back. 'But I think there's something in your satchel…that's mine.'

Blaine slapped a hand to his forehead. He couldn't have Trent blow his cover.

Kurt sighed and began to walk away. Panic began to settle in Blaine's chest and he knew he had to act quickly.

'Hey, aren't you going to glee club…rehearsal or something?' Trent called out.

'Not today,' Kurt replied, and Blaine was glad to see that he was facing Trent. Now was his chance. Quickly he flashed Trent nine fingers, then pointed one finger in a downwards motion and mouthed the word _tomorrow_. Trent seemed to have received the message because he gave Blaine a hesitant nod, and started to walk away.

'Wait…' Kurt replied, turning around to face Trent again. 'Don't I know you from somewh-'

'No!' Trent hastily replied and Blaine snickered as Trent began to walk, then jog, finally breaking into a run as he neared the hallway's exit.

…

Blaine endured another silent car ride in a satchel, broken only by the unsteady breathing of Kurt in the seat beside him. He assumed that the boy was heading home, and he was correct when Kurt opened the front door of a house with his keys. The interior was modern and looked recently furnished, if the boxes marked 'Furniture' that lined a wall of the living room was any indication.

'Hey, buddy,' said a male voice as Kurt entered the kitchen. From what Blaine could see of the man, he had a baseball cap on his head and wore a flannel shirt. He was standing on a chair, adjusting the light fixture above the table and hadn't looked at Kurt had when he walked through the doorway. 'How was your day?'

'Fine,' came Kurt's soft reply, though Blaine knew he was not fine. He sounded defeated.

Blaine watched the man, who he assumed was the boy's father, look down and fix his eyes on Kurt, but Kurt turned away quickly, ascending the stairs until a bedroom came into view. He placed the satchel on a chair (Blaine was thankful it wasn't dropped) and settled down on his bedspread. Kurt sat in silence for a few minutes, his hands twisting in his lap.

'_Kurt?'_ a voice floated up from downstairs. There was a pause before the voice continued. _'I made some toast if you want some.'_

Slowly, Kurt rose off the bed and hugged his arms to his chest. He paced across the length of his bed once, his eyes trained on the carpet. He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, sighing it out as if he was bracing for something. Then he dropped his hands and walked out of the room, his slow and hesitant footsteps thudding down the stairs.

Blaine was out of the satchel in mere seconds.

As quiet conversation from downstairs began, he closed the small gap between the chair and the bedside table with a giant leap. He pulled himself up on the alarm clock and stretched out his legs so that they were hanging over the digital display.

So the plan had not gone the way he had hoped, but he couldn't stand by and watch another person be pushed around. Especially not someone who looked so broken as Kurt. He had almost entertained the possibility of looking around Kurt's bedroom to see if there were any clues about their upcoming songs for Sectionals, but he didn't have the heart to do it.

If Trent had kept up his end of his deal, Blaine would be meeting him at McKinley the following morning at nine o'clock. Blaine realised with a start that Kurt might not want to return to McKinley the following day.

He really had no other choice.

…

Kurt Hummel was quite possibly having the worst day of his life.

He'd been double-slushied at recess, received his lowest ever score on his Geography test and didn't have the enthusiasm to attend glee club, even if it was edging closer to competition. He used to be excited at the prospect of being given a solo but now he no longer cared.

The final straw was being pushed into the lockers after school, and the tiny voice in his head that screamed _enough_. Over breaking tiny crumbs off his slice of toast, he told his dad about Dave Karofsky's possible return, about the harassment and the verbal threats that pursued him daily, and that he couldn't put up with them anymore. He had only one person he knew he could count on, and that was his father. Burt Hummel had called up the school to arrange an appointment with the principal the following day.

'We'll figure something out, son,' his dad assured him.

Kurt felt like some of the emotional weight he had been carrying within him day in, day out had been lifted. He couldn't help but feel a bit lighter as he climbed the stairs to his bedroom and shut the door. Exhaustion suddenly overtook him and he moved over to his bed, hoping to fit in a nap before dinner.

'_Kurt!'_

Kurt froze before his hand had touched the bedspread. Surely it was just his imagination.

'_Kurt!' _the voice said again, more insistent this time. Kurt's eyes darted across to the doorway; his name was spoken as clearly as if there was another person initiating conversation in his room, but as far as he was concerned, he was the sole person occupying it.

'_Hey, Kurt - down here!'_

Without understanding why, Kurt looked down at his bedside table. Sitting on his alarm clock was a dark-haired boy of _tiny_ proportions; his black clothing was topped with an equally dark cardigan, smile beaming and eyes twinkling as he stared up at him.

'Greetings, Kurt.'


	4. Chapter III

Blaine was used to seeing all sorts of reactions in response to his small stature. Often they ranged from a double take, to an excited shriek, and a lot of eye rubbing in between. But Kurt just stared back at him, his eyes having widened only slightly.

'Salutations?' Blaine suggested, lifting his hands and shoulders up into a shrug. What Blaine didn't expect was for Kurt to break into a wide, almost maniacal smile and wave his fingers at him in greeting. Then he brought his hand up to his mouth to cover a yawn.

'Dear me, I must be really tired,' Kurt muttered, and he climbed on to his bed, turning his back on Blaine as he laid down and closed his eyes. A tiny huff of annoyance escaped from Blaine's lips but he remained seated on the alarm clock, raising his knees up to his chest and waiting.

After half an hour, Kurt began to stir. He stretched his arms out over his head before rolling his body over to the digital display to check the time. He blinked his eyes open slightly before closing them again. Within seconds his eyes shot open as they focused on the small boy sitting casually on his alarm clock.

'Hi,' Blaine said.

Kurt let out a shriek before he stumbled off his bed, hitting the floor with a loud _thump_.

'_You okay there, buddy?'_ a voice called from the bottom of the stairs.

'_I'm fine, Dad!' _Kurt yelled, as he reached up to grip the top edge of his bedside table with both hands. Blaine saw only the top of his head and his eyes peeking over the table, and it gave him time to appreciate how very interesting Kurt's eyes were; an ocean of sea blue mixed with swirls of green.

'You're…how…you're still here,' Kurt gasped, shaking his head. 'I just…I thought…you can't be…'

'I'm sorry to frighten you,' Blaine said gently, trying to calm him. 'I've never found myself in this situation before and…'

'I must be going mad,' Kurt whispered, and his eyes began to glaze over into the distance.

'No, Kurt! I know my size is a little hard to take in at first, but I assure you that I am definitely real. Here…' Blaine hopped down from the alarm clock and approached Kurt, who drew back slightly. 'You can feel for yourself, if you like.'

Kurt opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. Very hesitantly, he raised a finger, moving it towards Blaine and gently prodding him in the stomach. He immediately withdrew his finger when Blaine let out a small giggle.

'That tickles!'

'Sorry!' Kurt said, his wide eyes in awe of Blaine's tiny form. 'Did I hurt you?'

'Not at all,' Blaine replied, still a little giggly from being poked before. He observed the features of Kurt's face for a brief moment. 'I just realized you have some freckles on your nose.'

'Oh!' Kurt gasped and both hands shot up to cover his nose, and Blaine laughed again.

'That's okay! I think they look cute.'

Kurt lowered his hands, and Blaine noted the faint blush that had tinged his cheeks. Remembering his manners, Blaine cleared his throat.

'Let me introduce myself,' Blaine said pleasantly, taking another step forward and feeling relieved when Kurt did not inch back. 'My name is Blaine Anderson and I attend Dalton Academy. I was visiting your school but it is through some unfortunately acting on my part that I have ended up in your home instead.' He held out his right hand expectantly.

'Kurt Hummel,' the other boy said, extending his little finger as Blaine reached out and shook it. 'So, uh…you were at my school?'

'I should explain the reason for following you back home,' Blaine continued. 'But I'll get to that. I've had a lot of practice being sneaked into places with satchels. And it's not often that I tell people this, but I'm also half-fairy.'

'Okay,' Kurt replied, as if it was a normal occurrence for him to be speaking to a four and a half inch half-fairy. He sat down on his bedspread and placed his hands in his lap. 'So…what are you doing all the way from Dalton?'

Knowing that honesty was the best policy, Blaine reluctantly told him about his and Trent's plans of spying on New Directions and coming back empty handed.

'And I'm supposed to meet Trent in the morning at nine o'clock,' Blaine told him. 'But I'm not sure if you were going to school tomorrow.' He could just imagine Trent now, pacing up and down and airing his concerns to Jeff and Nick, trying their best to calm him down. 'I guess he is just the worrying type.'

Kurt, who was listening intently, paused before he spoke. 'I guess you're just as bad a spy as I am,' he replied, giving a hint of a smile when Blaine laughed. 'Is there anything I can get for you? It must have been a rough journey.'

'Well,' Blaine said, twisting his arm self-consciously. 'I am a little hungry.' As if to prove his point, his stomach made a rumbling noise and he rubbed it quickly.

'Oh, of course!' Kurt replied, and Blaine could tell that he was mentally chastising himself. 'How about I grab some bread from the table and I can drive you to Dalton? It will save your friend from worrying all night.'

'I would like that very much, Kurt,' Blaine replied, thankful that Kurt was nice enough to think of his predicament. He watched as Kurt gathered his keys from his satchel and placed it in his coat pocket before shrugging it on. He sat back down on the bedspread with a questioning look at Blaine. 'Um…'

Blaine knew what he was about to ask. 'Hold out your hand,' he said.

Kurt laid his hand flat on the table with his palm facing up, and Blaine climbed up on to it, rearranging himself so that he was sitting cross legged in the center of his palm. Kurt carefully lifted his palm up and slowly arose from his bed.

'You're not scared?' he asked Blaine, looking at him in amazement as he moved towards the doorway.

'Nope,' Blaine replied, and in truth he was right. Often getting carried around was the quickest form of transportation for him and he was glad that the boys at Dalton seemed to like giving him a lift.

'So…' Kurt whispered, his voice getting softer as he moved towards the stairs. 'Why are your clothes all dark?'

'Spy outfit,' Blaine replied, following Kurt's lead by not raising his voice too loudly. 'I like dressing up.'

'Me too.' Kurt took the stairs down one at a time. 'How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?'

'I don't mind,' Blaine said. 'I'm sixteen.'

'I'm sixteen too,' Kurt replied, and Blaine nodded, secretly glad that they had a few things in common.

Kurt reached the bottom of the stairs and sneaked a glance around the corner, Blaine examining the kitchen with him. Kurt's father had his back to them and was stirring a pot of soup on the stovetop. The scent of hot soup made Blaine's stomach grumble even more. He wrapped his hands around it to keep it quiet.

'Okay,' Kurt breathed above him, in the quietest of whispers. 'I'm going to make this quick.'

He carefully clutched the hand holding Blaine to his chest and swept into the kitchen, picking up a piece of bread from the table and calling out over his shoulder.

'Going to the grocery store, be back soon, bye!' Kurt had only taken a few steps towards the front hallway when his dad called back to him.

'_Kurt,'_ his father said, in a voice that was equally _Where are you going? _and _I know you're up to something._

Kurt sighed and slowly turned back to face him.

'Okay,' Kurt breathed out, taking a hesitant step forward. 'I'm going to show you something…_someone_,' he correctly quickly. 'But you have to promise not to freak out. Okay?'

'O-kay,' Burt said slowly, his expression turning curious as Kurt moved over to the kitchen table and placed his palm down over the tabletop. Blaine immediately hopped down and straightened up, looking up nervously at Kurt's father.

'Dad,' Kurt began, his voice sounding equally as nervous. 'This is Blaine.'

The older man stared at him without blinking for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he removed his baseball cap and used it to wipe whatever sweat was on his brow before turning back to the stove.

'Right, I'm telling my doctor to re-check my scripts.'

'_Dad!'_

His father turned around and sighed. 'Look kiddo, either I'm hallucinating or I've got a four and a half inch little guy staring me in the face.' He looked down at Blaine. 'No offence, kid.'

'None taken, sir,' Blaine replied. 'You guessed my measurements exactly.'

Kurt's father stared at him for a little while before he lowered the gas on the stovetop. He sat down at the table, all the while continuing to watch Blaine. 'Call me Burt,' he said, and looked at Kurt curiously. Blaine saw Kurt give a slight nod in reassurance. 'So – what's this all about?'

Kurt relayed the story to his father, pausing for Blaine to fill in the gaps. After being convinced that Blaine was not a side effect of his medication, Burt stood up. 'Carole and Finn will be home soon so how about you both stay around for dinner?'

The two boys welcomed the idea, and it wasn't long before the cutlery was set and Kurt's stepmother and her son Finn had joined them at the table. Carole's reaction had been similar to Kurt's but without the shrieking and falling. Blaine had stepped back when Finn approached him, his face only centimeters from his. It wasn't so much that as the fact that Blaine had noted he was tall. _Very_ tall.

'Whoa,' Finn exclaimed, eyes taking in Blaine's size. 'Tiny dude!' And then proceeded to ask him questions throughout dinner about his ability to carry out important tasks undetected, like sneaking notes in class.

As Kurt, Finn and Carole cleared the table (Blaine offered but was politely turned down), Burt moved over to the phone.

'I'm going to call Dalton and let them know you're coming by,' he told Kurt, before glancing over at Blaine. 'What's the number, kid?'

'No, Dad,' Kurt began to protest. 'We don't have to let them know.'

'And how are you supposed to get in?' Burt replied.

Blaine knew that Dalton was very strict with visitors after dinnertime; the school would have to find out that he had left either way.

'It _is_ after hours,' he told Kurt with regretful sigh. After the school was contacted and he had said his goodbyes to Kurt's family, Blaine was taken outside on Kurt's palm to the driveway. Blaine shivered at the sudden cool breeze that brushed past him.

'Are you okay?' a voice above him said, and he found Kurt staring down at him with a look of concern.

'I'm fine,' Blaine replied. 'I just don't like the cold very much.'

He felt Kurt rustle around in his coat before pulling out a brown woolen glove.

'Here,' Kurt said, placing the glove over Blaine so that it covered his shoulders. 'I hope that's okay.'

Blaine knew that he could have found himself in a much worse situation that day, hadn't it not been for Kurt and the kindness of his family. It was with gratitude that Blaine looked up and smiled, and it wasn't just for the added warmth that Kurt had provided for him.

'Thanks, Kurt.'

'You're welcome, Blaine.'


	5. Chapter IV

Blaine sat in the middle storage compartment of the center console, with Kurt's glove wrapped around him and warm air from the car's heater surrounding him. He sighed and stretched his legs, humming along softly to the song that was playing on the radio. Kurt had his eyes focused on the road and while they had made light conversation about music and old movies about ten minutes ago, there now stretched a confortable silence.

The song ended and another one began with a tune that was very familiar to Blaine. He quickly glanced up at Kurt.

'Mind if I sing?'

'No, not at all,' Kurt replied. Blaine sang along with the words and paused when the chorus started.

'Do you want to join in, Kurt?' he asked, hoping that he would be able to hear Kurt sing. His wish faded when Kurt shook his head.

'I…I don't really feel like singing right now,' Kurt replied, his voice failing to mask his sadness. 'But I like listening to you sing.'

So Blaine continued singing along, comforted by knowing it was the least he could do to distract Kurt from the turmoil that was overshadowing him.

…

Dalton looked like a gated fortress from the outside, but Blaine knew it was nothing of the sort on the inside. Still, it did look like a foreboding place to anyone who walked up to it after dark. Kurt's hand's trembled slightly as he approached the gate to ring the bell, and Blaine prayed he could hold on long enough not to fall off.

'I'm sorry, Dalton Academy for Orphaned Boys' visiting hours are over,' crackled a stern voice over the speaker once Kurt had rang the bell.

'I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have a student with me,' Kurt replied. Blaine had Kurt's attention as he pointed up to one of the pillars beside the gate where a security camera was situated. Blaine was lifted high in the air as Kurt brought his palms up close to the camera to present him to whoever was watching inside.

Immediately the double gates to the school began to creak and swing inward. Blaine saw the other boy raise an eyebrow as if impressed, but otherwise stayed silent as they walked up the pathway to the front of the school. Kurt was ushered quickly through the visitor's reception area, and Blaine was happy he did not receive anything more than curious looks thrown his way.

He directed Kurt down familiar hallways until they reached the senior common room. Its doors were open and he could hear voices in discussion so loudly that snippets of conversation spilled out into the hallway. Blaine urged Kurt to walk in, and they were faced with a dozen or so Warblers, each in their own sleeping attire. The conversation died down as soon as Kurt walked in the room, arising again as murmurs of excitement as they recognized who Kurt had brought with him on the palm of his hand.

'Oh Blaine, thank God you're here!' Trent rushed forward, his nightgown flapping behind him. 'I was so worried, I didn't want to leave you behind and I know that's what we discussed as worst-case scenario, but-'

'I'm fine, Trent,' Blaine assured him, responding to the panicked look on Trent's face as the other boys crowded around them. 'And it's all thanks to Kurt.'

Trent's eyes flickered up to Kurt and he took a hold of Kurt's wrists with both hands. Blaine felt Kurt freeze slightly in surprise.

'Thank-you,' Trent said, his eyes glistening with gratitude. 'Now we have Blaine back, we can go back to focusing on our setlist for Sectionals.'

'_Ahem.'_

The boys turned around to the person standing away from the group, arms folded, who had cleared his throat loudly. Wes looked just as menacing in his striped pajamas as he did in uniform.

'I think we need to discuss the matter of why our little Warbler had to be returned to us in the first place,' he said smoothly, eyes darting between Blaine and Trent. 'And anyone else at the center of this mess,' he continued, looking over and Jeff and Nick, who shrank back slightly.

'Okay, so we failed,' Trent replied, letting go of Kurt's wrist and holding out his palm. Blaine stepped on to it without second thought. 'But Blaine is safe. Isn't that what matters?'

'Four of you broke the rules,' Wes said, ignoring Trent's previous response. 'I think that warrants some sort of punishment. Four weeks without extra-curricular activities, at the very least.'

A collective cry rose up from the boys and they rushed forward to plead their cases.

'But we'll miss Sectionals!'

'How are we supposed to learn our dance moves without them?'

'Wes,' Blaine said, trying to school his expression into something more serious. 'Don't you think we would be at a disadvantage at competition if we show up with gaps in our carefully-practiced routines?'

'May I remind you…' Wes said, stepping forward as the dozen or so boys stepped back. '…of all the students at this school that would be willing to take your places for a chance at competitive glory?'

That seemed to create a thoughtful silence, until a voice from the back of the room spoke up.

'If…if I may say something,' Kurt said, his voice wavering as all eyes came to rest on him. Blaine watched him with fascination. 'I know that you have these rules in place for a reason. For safety, is that right?'

'That's correct,' Wes replied.

'Well…I have guaranteed Blaine's safety while he has been away. And I…I also happened to mess up while trying to help out my glee club. Couldn't our failings be payment enough for what happened? Can't we call it even?'

All eyes in the room returned to Wes. He sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair.

'If the student representative council hears about this, they'll be hell to pay. For all of us.'

'We know,' Blaine replied. 'That's why they won't find out.'

The taller boy eyed him but Blaine didn't flinch under his gaze. He was the only Warbler immune to the wrath of Wes.

'We need to arm you with a tracking device,' Wes said, and just like that, laughter and conversation returned to the room. Blaine noticed Kurt standing by shyly, and he was about to call out to him but Wes beat him to it.

'We would like to thank you for the return of out smallest member,' Wes said politely.

'I-you're welcome,' Kurt stammered. 'Um…' Blaine realized that the room had gone quiet again, this time because all ears were tuned in to Kurt and Wes's conversation. 'I mean, it's nice that everyone is so friendly to one another here.'

'That is thanks to our zero-tolerance harassment policy in place at this school,' David said, as Wes nodded proudly beside him. 'No-one gets treated any differently.'

'No-one gets bullied?' Kurt responded, though it came out as a mere whisper.

'It's because we all come from similar circumstances,' Thad added. 'We're all orphans here.'

'Oh, of course,' Kurt said, quickly trying to brush off his remark. But Blaine couldn't miss the way his breath hitched, his eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears.

'Guys, would you please excuse us for a moment?' Blaine said to the room, his eyes still trained on Kurt.

The boys filtered out of the room, saying their goodnights and wishing Kurt luck at competition. Trent placed Blaine on the arm of a nearby sofa and as the last of the boys shuffled out of the room, Kurt let out a sigh, hugging his arms to his chest. He was looking down at his feet, avoiding Blaine's gaze.

'Kurt?' Blaine inquired softly. 'Come here, take a seat.' He patted the section of the sofa next to him.

Very slowly, Kurt wandered over to the sofa and sat down.

'Are the Warblers all gay?' Kurt asked him, still avoiding eye contact.

'No,' Blaine replied, thinking that it was a strange question to ask. 'Well, I am, and we all kind of suspect Nick and Jeff are, but they just haven't figured it out yet.'

Kurt nodded silently. He took a deep breath before continuing. 'I just…feel so unsafe all the time because of who I am. And I know I've been promised protection at school but it doesn't seem to be working.'

'I know,' Blaine replied gently. 'I saw it firsthand.'

Kurt sighed. 'I have friends in the glee club…well, if you can call them that. But I still feel so isolated. And I know that I should be grateful that I have my family, but…'

'But you're unhappy,' Blaine finished for him. Kurt nodded in agreement as a tear rolled down his cheek.

'Kurt, you shouldn't have to put up with being in an environment where you are constantly looking over your shoulder. You deserve better than that.'

'I know,' Kurt replied softly. 'Dad and I have a meeting tomorrow at the school so I can't do anything but wait until then.' He placed his hand in the pocket of his coat and used his sleeve to wipe his eyes. 'So you've never been bullied?'

'No.'

'Never been made fun of because of your size?'

'Maybe when I was younger. But here, not that I am aware of,' Blaine replied. 'The Warblers sometimes tease me about climbing the furniture. I don't want to have to rely on them 24/7, you know.'

Blaine thought he saw a hint of a smile playing on Kurt's lips, but it had vanished by the time Kurt had stood up from the sofa.

'Kurt, if you need to talk about anything, you'll know where to find me.'

'Not in my satchel this time, I'm guessing,' Kurt replied, and Blaine barked out a short laugh before sliding down the front of the sofa. He stood in the center of the rug as Kurt reached the door, pausing as his hand touched the handle.

'Thank-you,' Kurt said, turning around to look down at Blaine.

'For what?'

'For listening.' He attempted a watery smile in Blaine's direction before slipping out the door.

It only took a few seconds for Blaine's subconscious to align with his thoughts and he rushed to catch up with Kurt, praying that he hadn't gone too far.

He slid under the door and into the hallway and was relieved to see Kurt was only halfway down it.

'Hey Kurt – _wait!_'

Kurt stopped at the sound of his voice and turned around. Blaine ran up to him, breathing heavily.

'Blaine?' Kurt crouched down to get closer to him.

'Thanks for stopping. I just want to ask you something,' Blaine said, still catching his breath. He observed that Kurt had seated himself down in the middle of the hallway. He looked towards Kurt's knee: it was an easy climb.

'Do you mind if I..?' he asked, tugging at Kurt's trouser leg. When Kurt gave his approval, he climbed on Kurt's leg and walked until he reached one of Kurt's knees. Then he sat on it cross-legged, just as Kurt had seated himself cross-legged on the floor. 'What will happen after the meeting if nothing more can be done?'

Kurt took a deep breath and raised his eyes to the ceiling, as though it would give him an answer.

'Well,' he said, eyes peering down at Blaine. 'Dad said that we can look at home schooling for a little while. There is a support network in Lima but we have to do some research.'

'I have an excellent recommendation for a tutor, if you need one,' Blaine replied. 'But I was just going to ask you that…' He clutched his hands together, feeling a little apprehensive. 'That if you would consider having me stay with you and your family for a little while, to keep you company regardless of whether or not you return to McKinley. I will be more than happy to help around the house,' he continued, as Kurt began to open his mouth to speak. 'And I promise I won't be too much of a burden.'

'I…I mean, that would be wonderful,' Kurt replied, and Blaine's shoulders sagged in relief. 'Won't you miss out on your classes?'

'We had our exam period last week,' Blaine replied. 'And we only have two more weeks before we break for the Christmas period.'

'Already?'

'We kind of cram a lot in during our school year. And they arrange it so that the Warblers have time to practice for competition without classes getting in the way. We're kind of treated like rock stars around here,' he admitted, looking up at Kurt's face sheepishly. While he knew he was asking a lot from Kurt, the first taste of freedom he had away from the Warblers had shown him just what was missing in his life. The hallways of Dalton became quiet after lessons ended as most of its pupils spent their Christmas with relatives. He wouldn't mind spending Christmas with a family just for this once. Besides, Blaine thought Kurt could use a friend right now.

'So if we "adopt" you,' Kurt said, using the term loosely. 'How long can you stay?'

Kurt didn't question Blaine's motives; his eyes shone eagerly and revealed to Blaine that he was just as open to the idea as he was.

'As long as you want me.'

The next day, Kurt emptied out his locker and left McKinley, saying his goodbyes to the glee club. By the weekend, Blaine was set to stay with the Hummel-Hudson household.


	6. Chapter V

Monday afternoon saw a flurry of activity at Dalton. Once classes has ceased for the day, nearly all of the Warblers (and a few close associates) had rushed up to Nick, Jeff and Blaine's room, eager and willing to assist with the move. Trent was trying to shoo them away.

'This dorm wasn't made to fit twenty-five people!' he shouted through the crowd that had formed at the door, curious to see what was happening inside. Jeff and Nick were hard at work, wrapping up tiny books, furniture and odds and ends. Blaine was folding his clothes and placing them neatly in an extra-small toiletry bag, along with his shoes, socks and hats. It wouldn't take the boys very long to pack up, because everything that Blaine had ever owned could fit in a small cardboard box.

He said goodbye to Mrs Frederick and the Headmaster, promising that he would be on his best behavior and not cause any trouble for Kurt's family. Trent and the other boys were about to take him down to the front entrance when Blaine stopped them.

'Wait a minute, I haven't said goodbye to Pavarotti yet!'

Nick, Jeff and Trent all shared an amused look, but still brought him to the senior common room where the bird was resting. Blaine promised he'd only be five minutes, and while the other boys waited out in the hallway, Blaine climbed up to the window sill in the empty room to speak to Pavarotti.

The canary chirped happily when he saw him. 'Off to spend some time with a family, little one?' Pavarotti said. 'A change of environment will do you a world of good!'

'I hope so,' Blaine said, the excitement and nerves he had been feeling in his stomach all weekend rushing back. 'Kurt is nice, as is his family. But I'm going to miss you.'

'Tosh tosh,' Pavarotti said, with a shake of his wing. 'You'll have plenty of company so you won't have time to miss me. Besides, if I'm not here I'll be in the dormitories, or the gardens, or wherever that new boy wants to take me. And in between, I can always dream.'

'Dream?' Blaine said, looking at Pavarotti curiously. 'What will you be dreaming of?'

Pavarotti sighed and raised his head to gaze through the window behind Blaine.

'Freedom, little one.'

…

Kurt was waiting for him in the foyer of the visitor's reception area, along with his father. Burt took the small box of Blaine's possessions from Nick while Trent passed Blaine over to Kurt.

'Keep him safe, okay?' Trent said to Kurt before joining the others to walk out the door.

'Wait, where are you going?' Kurt questioned, wondering why the boys were rushing outside.

'You'll see,' Jeff said with a wink before disappearing as well. His father tilted his head to indicate to follow them, and walked out the door. Kurt could hear his bark of laughter outside.

'Ready to leave?' Kurt asked, looking down at Blaine.

'All set,' Blaine replied, though Kurt could see from the movement of his tiny chest that he had let out a deep breath.

Kurt couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth raise a little when he stepped outside.

The Warblers and quite a number of other students had formed a guard of honor of sorts down the walkway to the front gate. Two lines of boys stood with their arms raised in the air and clasping the hands of the boy opposite him. Nick, Jeff and Trent had joined the tail end of the guard beside the gate. Kurt heard Blaine laugh and clap his hands together in delight.

'I guess we're passing through?' Kurt said, looking through the sea of joined hands.

'We're going to run through,' Blaine said, and Kurt felt a light tapping of a tiny hand on his own palm. 'Go, Kurt!'

Kurt ducked down and made his way quickly through the makeshift tunnel, boys cheering on either side of him but the highlight for Kurt was sneaking a glance at Blaine and seeing the glow on his face for all those that had come to say goodbye. With promises of _Speak to you soon _and _See you after Christmas_ from Trent, Nick and Jeff, they were already home by the time Kurt realized it.

Kurt took the box from his father and joined him in the kitchen. Carole was washing a handful of potatoes in the sink.

'Hi sweetheart,' Carole said, eyes directed at Blaine's level. 'Burt and I are eating with the neighbors tonight so we're making an early dinner for you boys.'

'We wouldn't want you boys to go hungry,' Burt added, retrieving a potato peeler from the cutlery drawer. 'You haven't seen what Kurt acts like when he's hungry, oh boy.'

Kurt threw an icy glare in his father's direction before ascending the stairs to his room.

'_Make sure to keep an eye out for Sebastian!' _Carole called after him, and Kurt heard his father snort, _'Yeah, as if that's going to be hard for him.'_ Kurt slammed the door shut on both their voices, and he felt Blaine jump in his hand.

'Sorry,' Kurt said, standing by the side of his bed. Blaine shook his head and assured him he didn't need to apologize.

He placed Blaine on his pillow without thinking and then put the box in the center of the bed. He was startled by a shriek; Blaine had begun sinking into the depths of the pillow.

'Oh my gosh, oh Blaine!' Kurt cried, snatching Blaine from the pillow and placing him on the bedspread. He was surprised to see Blaine trying to hide laughter behind his hand.

'Nothing that hasn't happened before,' Blaine said, suppressing a giggle. 'Your pillow is really soft, by the way.'

'Uh…thanks.' Kurt sat opposite Blaine on the bedspread and stared at the box. With permission from Blaine, he pulled it closer to him and began taking out all its contents. The largest item that Blaine owned happened to be at the top of the pile. It was a felt beret in the deepest of reds, and Kurt had never seen a more beautiful piece in his life.

'It was my mother's,' Blaine said, by way of explanation. Kurt placed the beret reverently on the bedspread and turned his attention to the other items, arranging everything neatly on the bed. Kurt learned quickly that the remainder of Blaine's possessions had been custom-made and meticulously crafted, from the tiny sheet set and pillow on Blaine's bed to the shoes and socks that Blaine wore on his feet. He began to unwrap newspaper from what looked like another wooden piece of furniture while Blaine busied himself with unpacking items of clothing and placing them in a previously uncovered chest of drawers.

'Are those…bowties?' Kurt asked, gazing down at the tiny patterned and dotted pieces of fabric.

'Yep,' Blaine said, picking one up and raising it closer to Kurt's eyes. 'I've amassed quite a collection. Only problem is I haven't had much of an opportunity to wear them, save for weekends.'

'Are-are you going to wear them now?'

'Every day,' Blaine answered with a grin.

Kurt had made space on his bedside table to fit Blaine's furniture and a small space in his closet for more of Blaine's items, but it wasn't needed. He apologized to Blaine for setting him up near his alarm clock, promising to keep it switched off but Blaine seemed more than happy with the arrangement. Blaine's bed was placed in the center of the table with his furniture surrounding it, and his mother's beret became a makeshift rug which carpeted the wooden floor underneath. Just as soon as they were finished, Kurt heard his father and Carole calling them down to dinner.

'I'm just going to quickly get changed, if that's all right,' Blaine said while in the process of removing his coat.

'Uh…' Kurt began, understanding that Blaine wanted to get a little more dressed up for dinner. 'Yes, of course. I'll-I'll just be waiting outside.'

'It's your room, Kurt,' Blaine said, as he began to unbutton his shirt. 'You can stay here.'

'No-no it's okay, I'll just be…just call out when you're done,' Kurt spluttered, before turning on his heel and walking out through the doorway, closing the door shut behind him. He placed a hand on his face and groaned, embarrassed at how warm his cheeks were. He knew that Blaine was used to seeing other boys in various states of undress, but Kurt wasn't, always choosing to hide away in a corner after gym class or by avoiding the school's male locker room altogether. Even so much as another look at a boy and he'd be accused by a loudmouth jock for being a pervert.

He suddenly felt foolish for running out of the room; with Blaine's size, he could have easily turned around or pretended to look out the window while Blaine was getting ready.

'_All done!'_

Still feeling somewhat ashamed by his actions, Kurt slowly opened his bedroom door and wandered over to the bedside table. Blaine was dressed in smart tweed pants and loafers, with a white shirt and navy bow tie underneath a burgundy cardigan. His hair looked shiner and neater with the addition of extra gel. Words slipped out of Kurt before he could stop them.

'So cute,' Kurt breathed, but in horror realized what he said and slapped a hand over his mouth. He averted his gaze until he heard a soft chuckle, and looked back to see the smaller boy smiling at him fondly.

'Yeah, I get that a lot,' Blaine said, clasping his hands behind his back and twirling one foot on the table.

…

Blaine yawned and stretched as he made the trip back from the bathroom to Kurt's (and now his) bedroom. He was delighted to find that Kurt's father had already set up his own private ensuite within the bathroom, complete with his own sized faucet and bathtub, just like it had been set up at Dalton. He did manage a good night's rest but all the packing and unpacking from yesterday had left him a little more tired than usual.

As he passed the landing near the staircase, he wondered what Kurt and his family would normally eat for breakfast. He began thinking about all the different combinations of breakfast foods and did not pay attention to where he was going, until he bumped into a patch of snowy white fur.

Blaine bounced back from the impact and was immediately amazed at how warm the fur was. Then he realized the fur was actually attached to a body, and whatever it was had now turned around to face him. Two bright green eyes stared down at him, and all Blaine could do was gulp. Blaine had never been so close to a cat before and since it had him surrounded, tail and all, he didn't have a choice.

'Hmm…' said the cat, peering at him closely, so near that its whiskers were only millimeters away. 'You don't look like a mouse; you don't have a tail or fur. You don't smell like a mouse either. And you're too small to be a human.' The cat thought for a moment. 'Unless you are a really small, absolutely _tiny_ human. So what are you?'

'I'm human,' said Blaine, trying not to shake as he looked up at the cat. 'Are you-are you going to eat me?'

The cat threw back his head and laughed.

'Eat you? I don't eat humans. I just wondered why my dear owner was keeping me confined to the living room. Besides,' the cat continued, its green eyes glittering with amusement. 'If anyone wants to _eat you up_, I'll be the first in line, if you know what I mean.' Then it winked.

Blaine blinked in astonishment. Was the cat trying to _flirt_ with him?

'Of course, that explains why they've been keeping an eye on me.' A sudden realization had dawned on him from the cat's musings.

'_Oh,_' said Blaine. He glanced up at the cat with a small smile. 'You must be Sebastian.'


	7. Chapter VI

'Sebastian Smythe.' The cat held out his paw and Blaine shook it. 'And you are?'

'Blaine Anderson,' Blaine answered politely, knowing the cat was no longer a threat. 'I didn't know cats had surnames.'

'Lord Smythe was my owner,' explained Sebastian, tail moving from side to side. 'Distinguished older gentleman, filthy rich. I lived in his estate until he passed away. He left me as his beneficiary, but his two brats found out and dumped me at a cat shelter.' His expression changed to a sour one. 'I could have been living my life of luxury, but those greedy, pompous b-'

'So then what happened?' Blaine prompted, trying to get Sebastian away from his rant.

'Then I was picked up by Carole and her giant oaf of a son. Soon after, we moved into this house.' Sebastian paused and observed Blaine with calculating eyes, as if trying to decide something. 'So, I see you're rooming with gayface. Tell me, then,' he said, pointing the end of his tail at him. 'What interest does he have with you?'

Blaine understood that he meant Kurt. 'We're just friends. And you shouldn't call him that,' Blaine added. 'It's not very nice.'

The cat smirked. 'Nice? I don't play nice, sugarpuss. I don't even have to hear his screeching voice to find him annoying. Though I find it kind of fun to piss him off, so-'

'_SEBASTIAN!' _

Sebastian jumped about foot in the air, as did Blaine, but he seemed to be still airborne. Then he caught on that he had been scooped up and held close to someone's chest, and from his scent Blaine knew instantly that it was Kurt.

'You are _not_ allowed up here,' Kurt continued, directing his anger towards Sebastian. 'Bad cat! Stay away from Blaine!' Blaine felt himself being raised until he was looking into two fearful blue eyes. 'Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I hope you're not bleeding. Are you bleeding?'

'I'm okay, Kurt,' Blaine said, trying to keep his voice calm. 'He's not going to hurt me or eat me. I can trust him.'

'Trust him?' Kurt was almost hysterical. 'How can you trust him, or even me, when you've almost been swallowed by a pillow and nearly eaten by a cat? I should be the one protecting you and I'm doing a lousy job at it!'

'Kurt, calm down,' Blaine said gently, lowering his hands. 'It's okay. Sebastian's not going to eat me. He told me himself. He – oh boy.'

Kurt's eyes widened almost comically. 'Wait – he told you…'

Blaine took a deep breath. 'I can speak to animals. Just…please don't tell anyone. It's kind of my little secret. Well, _our_ little secret now.' He looked up pleadingly at Kurt. 'Please?'

'I, uh…okay,' Kurt replied, hesitating slightly. He didn't seem entirely convinced, but Blaine didn't want to press it any further. 'Just…try to stay away from him, okay?'

'If that's what you want, Kurt,' Blaine replied. 'He may be a little bitter for a cat, but he's not so bad.'

'Yeah, well…' Kurt began, turning back to look at Sebastian, who was staring at them silently. 'I don't like him.' One look at Sebastian confirmed that the feeling was mutual.

'I don't like your face either,' Sebastian shot back, knowing that Kurt wouldn't understand him. Sebastian looked up at Blaine. 'I'll see you around,' he muttered before turning and disappearing down the staircase.

…

Keeping away from Sebastian didn't prove to be a difficult task; Kurt rarely left Blaine's side and when Sebastian did get the chance to approach Blaine with a sniff or brush of his tail, he was quickly shooed away by the nearest family member.

Blaine became very useful around the house, picking up quarters and dimes for Burt that had fallen underneath the sofa and even retrieving Carole's wedding ring that had wedged itself in a small gap between the washing machine and dryer. He spent an afternoon in his first week helping Finn to retrieve suspicious-looking colored packages from under Finn's bed, until Kurt walked by and promptly put a stop to that activity.

The weekend brought an early morning phone call from Dalton. Blaine sat on the kitchen counter with the phone receiver laying on its side, listening to Trent and the Warblers on the other end and chatting away about his week so far with Kurt's family. It also brought another surprise from Dalton, this time in the form of a person. Kurt, Carole and his father had chosen a tutor, and had invited them over on Saturday afternoon for cookies and tea.

'Mrs Frederick!' Blaine exclaimed as she walked through the door. He was so glad that the family had chosen Mrs Frederick; she wasn't just the office lady who filled in for classes when teachers were absent. She was more like a grandmother to him.

'Hello dearie,' she replied, patting his head with her finger. 'And you must be Kurt, nice to meet you,' she continued, as Kurt shook her hand a little shyly. Mrs Frederick had tutored before, but she wanted to keep an eye on Blaine and work at Dalton on weekends. That way, she could tutor both Kurt and Blaine and keep Blaine informed about what was happening at Dalton.

Classes began the following week over the kitchen table, and while the boys worked together, they would often take breaks and listen to Mrs Frederick recount a story about Blaine, who would try to hide his face whenever she touched on an embarrassing moment. The work was challenging, but in line with Dalton's teachings and while Kurt struggled to keep up at first, they assured him he would be able to catch up in no time. While they only had a week of classes, Mrs Frederick ensured she gave them plenty of holiday homework to last into the new year. For Blaine, this meant a stack of four novels that were no taller than a matchbox.

As classes drew to a close and December rolled in, they were paid another visit by Mrs Frederick, carrying with her a small box covered in Christmas-themed wrapping paper.

'Did you hear the news that our Warblers are through to Regionals?' she gushed, setting the box down on the kitchen table next to Blaine. From Blaine's point of view, it looked like a giant skyscraper wrapped with patterned candy-cane paper.

'Finn told me that New Directions are through as well,' Kurt replied, and Blaine saw that the corners of his mouth had turned up a little. Blaine noticed that it was the first time he had seen Kurt attempt to smile without realizing it. He wished it could have stayed there longer, but it turned into a frown as Kurt eyed the box.

'Is that….for Blaine?' Kurt asked. It did seem a little big for him, but Blaine couldn't help but clap his hands together at the prospect of getting an early present.

'It's a delivery from the Warblers,' Mrs Frederick said. 'They wanted both of you to have it. And I have strict instructions not to let either of you open it until Christmas day. You have a lot of homework to get through and we don't want any distractions.' Blaine sagged his shoulders in disappointment as she gave him a stern look. 'Especially since I know how one of you can get so easily distracted.'

…

Kurt was a little crestfallen on missing out on Sectionals, but he knew he could not face attending school if it meant getting harassed again. He tried to look to the positives; he had the remainder of December free and if that meant catching up on schoolwork and spending the rest of the time inside watching trashy reality shows, so be it. He put his pajamas on and walked over to the bathroom.

As he stepped up to the faucet to do his nighttime skincare routine, he heard singing from the floor beside him. Blaine liked to bathe at night while Kurt showered in the morning, and it was a pattern they had easily slipped into. Kurt's father had very cleverly created a private en suite for Blaine next to Kurt's standard-size faucet, complete with running water and size-friendly facilities.

Blaine had a lovely voice, but it was muffled by the door leading to the little bathhouse, which was slightly ajar. Kurt crouched down on the bathmat and tried to listen. It sounded very familiar but he couldn't tell for sure unless he peeked in through the door. What he saw was Blaine with his back to the door, drying himself with a fluffy white towel, just having stepped out of the bath. Kurt's cheeks flushed and he tried to move away, but it was too late; Blaine turned around and let out a high pitched squeal. Kurt flung himself back from the tiny door so quickly that he almost hit the towel rack behind him.

'_I'm s-sorry, I'm so sorry!'_ Kurt stammered, wondering how many times he would have to embarrass himself in front of Blaine. He knew Blaine would already be thinking that he was awkward and weird; now he could add _perverted_ to that list. He stared down at the smaller boy with anxious eyes as he emerged from the bathhouse, a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair sticking up in a few different directions after towel-drying it in haste.

'Why are you on the floor, Kurt?' Blaine asked. Kurt was a little afraid to meet Blaine's eyes, but when he did, they only stared back at him curiously.

'I…um…I heard you singing,' Kurt mumbled, feeling shame flood through him again. 'I'm sorry, I didn't-didn't think to-'

'Did I sound okay?'

Kurt fell into shocked silence for a brief moment before finding his voice again. 'Yes…you sounded wonderful, actually.'

He watched Blaine's eyes light up. 'Great!' he exclaimed, placing his hands on his towel. 'I'm just going to put my pajamas on. See you out in a bit.'

'Yeah, okay,' Kurt said as Blaine disappeared back into the en suite. Breathing a little sigh of relief at being spared from further embarrassment, Kurt lifted himself off the floor and trudged over to the faucet. He sighed as he looked at his pale reflection in the mirror. He had almost hit Blaine twice that week, both times from having woken up with a panic and whacking a palm over his alarm clock before realizing that he didn't have school and that his alarm wasn't even on. And he hadn't even thought of respecting Blaine privacy when they were sharing the same bathroom.

Kurt didn't know why Rachel Berry suddenly popped into his head, but he did know she had something that would keep Blaine away from his prying eyes, or at the very least let him forgive Kurt for being such a lousy roommate. And he could really use Finn's help in getting it.

* * *

**Author's note: **Your reviews are like warm sunshine on a cold winter's day. Thank-you for the feedback so far! xx


	8. Chapter VII

Rachel Berry owned a pink and yellow Victorian-style dollhouse. Kurt knew this because he saw it sitting in the corner of her bedroom when he last visited her home. He also knew that Rachel would do anything for Finn, even though Finn wasn't really much on speaking terms with Rachel at the moment. He was surprised to find that Finn didn't need much convincing at all to go over to Rachel's house to ask to borrow the item; Kurt had a sneaking suspicion that it was Finn's way of making up for being such a lousy ally over the time that Kurt had known him. His stepbrother returned with the dollhouse in tow, just barely managing to squeeze it and himself through the doorway to Kurt's room.

'How did you manage to get it?' Kurt asked, astonished to see it in Finn's possession.

Finn set the dollhouse down in the corner next to Kurt's beside table. 'Well, I sort of explained to her how bummed out you've been about school, so I said that you were practicing for a musical and you kind of needed it as a prop.'

'Finn…that's kind of genius,' Kurt replied, and he actually meant it. 'What musical?'

'Uh…_Guys and Dolls?_'

Kurt blinked back at him. 'And she bought it?'

'I guess,' Finn replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

Tiny footsteps muffled by the carpet reached Kurt's ears as Blaine walked into the room, having just visited the bathroom. He stopped short as he took in the sight of the dollhouse.

'Wow!' he said, his eyes sparkling as he looked between Kurt and Finn. 'Whose house is that?'

Kurt hadn't told Blaine about the dollhouse yet, and he felt a bit hesitant that Blaine wouldn't like his new living arrangements.

'Yours for the time being,' Kurt replied, biting his lip as Blaine hurried over to the white picket fence, laughing as he swung open the wooden gate and shut it behind him. Kurt crouched down as he watched Blaine make his way through the front door and up the stairs, finally reaching the terrace on the second floor. 'I mean, the bathroom is useless and there's no food in the kitchen, and the décor definitely leaves a lot to be desired…'

'There's so much room!' Blaine said, looking down over the front of the house from the terrace railing. Kurt could hear Finn's laugh behind him.

'I just thought…maybe you wanted some more privacy, and your own space. Not that I don't want you in my space. I mean, it's our space but…' Kurt huffed in frustration. 'I just want you to be comfortable.'

'It's perfect,' Blaine said, leaning his hands on the railing and tilting his head up at Kurt, his eyes dazed and faraway. 'When can I move in?'

…

Blaine loved the dollhouse. He had his own bedroom, a spare room for his clothes and the living room where he housed all his books and stationery. Burt and Carole had insisted on stocking the kitchen with food that wouldn't spoil, in case he was hungry for a late-night snack and didn't want to make the long trek downstairs. A small sheet was placed over the top of the dollhouse to serve as a makeshift roof and his mother's beret covered the chimney to keep out the draft. Kurt had become a little more careful while Blaine was occupying the house; he would knock on the front door and call his name softly instead of peeking through the roof.

It was two days after Blaine had moved in to the dollhouse when Finn entered Kurt's room. Kurt was reading on his bed; Blaine was lounging on a chair on the terrace, trying to think of a possible and realistic Christmas present he could give to Kurt.

'Kurt, can I speak to you for a moment?' Finn said, leaning his hand against the doorframe.

'Go ahead,' Kurt replied.

'Out here?'

Kurt sighed and dropped the book onto his bed. Finn flashed Blaine an apologetic smile before both boys disappeared out the door.

Blaine didn't really want to eavesdrop, but they had left the door open and his hearing was better than those more than ten times his size.

'So, uh, remember how I told you she, uh, bought it?' Finn's voice. 'She, uh…didn't buy it.'

'What?'

'I lied, okay? I told her I needed the dollhouse to cheer you up and she asked why and I told her it was for Blaine.'

'_FINN!'_

'I know, I knew you were going to yell at me but she was really convincing, Kurt, and she knew something was up. She always knows.' A pause. 'You know that movie, _The Sixth Sense? _It's like she has that or something.'

Blaine heard Kurt's loud and frustrated sigh. 'So, what happens now? She's going to tell everybody!'

'I don't know, but she'll be here in twenty minutes.'

'Twenty…' Kurt's voice faltered and Blaine heard quick footsteps as Kurt hurried back into the room. He looked towards Blaine before pacing up and down, placing a hand to his face in thought.

'Should I get changed?' Blaine asked, looking up at Kurt like one who hadn't spent the last minute eavesdropping. 'Are we expecting a visitor?'

'No…' Kurt said, not really listening. He looked at Blaine as if noticing him in the room for the first time. 'We need to hide you; yes, I think that is the best thing to do.'

'Kurt, hold on-'

'Blaine, find somewhere to hide away from that house and…and don't come out for half an hour, okay?'

'Kurt-'

'Blaine, will you just-' Kurt stopped as the sound of the doorbell reached the room. He ran out into the landing, not before whispering the word _hide_ to Blaine again.

Blaine was, quite frankly, tired of hiding. If he was going to live in the dollhouse, he might as well meet its owner and promise to be a respectful tenant. He quickly traded his hoodie for a navy-blue cardigan, changed into his dark jeans and leapt from the roof of the house up to Kurt's bedside table. He could hear a female voice and conversation floating up the stairs so he hopped up on the alarm clock and waited.

A short brunette girl wearing a red swing cape and dark gloves entered the doorway, closely followed by Kurt. Kurt froze as soon as he saw Blaine, clearly not expecting him to be in his room in full view. The girl took a little longer to spot him, but when she did, she let out a squeal.

'_Oh! Oh, how cute!' _she gasped, rushing over to the alarm clock and bending over it. Her face was so close that Blaine shrank back a little.

'Rachel, you're scaring him,' Kurt pointed out behind her.

'But he's just so tiny and _adorable,_' she gushed, kneeling down and clasping her hands together. Knowing the name of what he guessed to be his landlord, Blaine cleared his throat and slid down from the alarm clock.

'Hello, I'm Blaine Anderson,' he said, smiling amiably and holding out his hand.

'I'm Rachel Berry,' she replied, placing her hands over her heart. Blaine withdrew his hand slowly. 'And it's such an honor to meet you.'

'It's lovely to meet you, too,' he replied pleasantly. She gasped loudly and turned to Kurt.

'And he's so polite!' Her large brown eyes returned to Blaine. 'I just want to put you in my pocket and carry you around with me all day.'

Blaine chuckled. 'Well, I am pocket-sized.'

'You don't have pockets, Rachel,' Kurt remarked flatly.

'Oh, shush!' She dismissed him by waving her hands behind her. Kurt responded with a glare, which Blaine was thankful she did not see. 'Finn and I are not on speaking terms at the moment, but what I'd really like this holiday season more than anything is a duet partner to practice with, someone that could keep up with me vocally or at least hold a tune, and I don't really mind how small they are in stature or lung capacity...' Rachel said this all rather quickly that Blaine was having trouble keeping up. 'Can you sing?'

Blaine smiled brightly. 'Of course,' he replied, and Rachel squealed again in delight. He _was _minding her dollhouse after all.

Rachel spent the remainder of the afternoon with Blaine, practicing a variety of songs that both were familiar with. She talked a lot about her future ambitions for Broadway and becoming a star of the stage. Kurt was asked to join in a number of times but he declined, preferring to stay on his bed and scowl over the page of his novel while he watched them sing. Blaine admitted that their voices did blend very nicely together and when it was time for her to leave, he promised to take her up on the offer of more duet practice before the competition season next year.

'I'm glad that's over,' Kurt said, walking back in to his room after having said goodbye to Rachel downstairs.

'She seemed like fun,' Blaine said, hopping back up on the alarm clock.

'She can be, in small doses,' Kurt answered before flopping down on his bed, though how he made it look so graceful was lost to Blaine. 'But there's only so much Rachel I can handle or listen to at a time.'

Blaine had noticed that Kurt wasn't stumbling over words and things to say like he usually did. He put it down to tiredness and apathy over the events of that afternoon.

'Would you like to listen to something else then?' Blaine said. He had been living with Kurt for over two weeks and he knew the time was right to finally open up about his past.

'I don't mind if you sing,' Kurt said, resting his head on the pillow and letting his eyes drift shut.

'I was thinking more along the lines of a story,' Blaine replied. He took a deep breath. 'Like the day I turned eight years old and became four and a half inches tall.'

Kurt's eyes opened quickly and he shuffled closer to Blaine on the bedspread.

'I would…I would like to like to hear that very much,' Kurt replied, the surprise apparent in his voice.

'Are you comfortable?'

Kurt adjusted himself on the pillow and rested his cheek on his hand.

'Yes.'

'That's good,' Blaine replied, placing his arms around his knees and hugging them up to his chest. 'Because it's kind of a long story…'


	9. Chapter VIII

'_Blaine? Come and help me with the sprinkles.'_

Blaine put down his copy of _Charlotte's Web_ on his bedspread and raced into the kitchen to help his mother. It was a special day for him today; he had just turned eight years old and while it was going to be a quiet celebration, he was just glad to have a birthday cake and candles to blow out.

His mother had her back turned to him as she worked over the kitchen counter. She was a petite woman with long, honey-brown hair and amber eyes, which was a shade lighter than her son's. What people didn't know, apart from her husband and son, was that she was a fairy. Her tiny wings were always well-concealed under clothing and she remained tight-lipped about her long-deceased parents, but she always told Blaine stories she learned about as a child. Blaine enjoyed listening to tales about her ancestors, who were much smaller and could actually fly.

'Can I put them around the edges, Mom?' Blaine asked as he came to stand next to her. He barely reached his mother's chest but he could still see over the top of the cake that she had just finished piping. His round vanilla cake looked delicious and he grinned at the _Happy 8__th__ Birthday Blaine_ written neatly in chocolate icing.

'Of course,' she replied, gathering some sprinkles in the palm of her hand. They flew from her fingers gracefully as they molded themselves around the vanilla frosting; no two sprinkles of the same color touched. 'Are you sure you didn't want to invite your friends over from school?'

'Yeah,' Blaine said. He had very few friends, and he really didn't like school very much. He was the smallest student in his class and most of the other boys and girls made fun of his size. He put his hand in the bag of sprinkles and let them fall through the cracks of his fingers. 'Is Dad going to be home before bedtime tonight?'

'I don't know, sweetheart,' his mother replied. 'I really don't know.' She gave him a tight smile that looked apologetic. 'But we can still celebrate between the two of us, okay?'

Blaine nodded. He understood his father was very busy and had a very important job that kept him away for most of the week as he often traveled to the West Coast to attend conferences that went on for days. Blaine was used to not having his father around that much and when Blaine did see him, his father would always ask him firmly if he was behaving at school.

They waited until nine o'clock. By then, Blaine was having trouble keeping his eyes open, but he accepted his mother's request to go through with blowing out the candles anyway. Blaine ate a big piece of cake (which tasted just as delicious as what it had looked like) with a glass of warm chocolate milk and by nine thirty, he was drifting off to sleep.

He felt like he hadn't been asleep for very long when he was awoken by two voices shouting in the kitchen. He opened his eyes groggily and saw his bear-shaped clock flip over to 11.54pm. Rubbing his eyes, he stood up and began walking over to his bedroom door. The voices in the kitchen became clearer with each step.

'…_don't think I know how to look after this family? I work long, strict hours, so what choice do I have?'_

'_But it was his birthday! Don't you think you could have been home on time at least this once?'_

Blaine padded silently into the hallway to find his mother and father fighting in the kitchen. He had seen them fight before but they had never been this loud. He could see his father's briefcase on the kitchen table with his jacket and tie thrown hastily over it. His father's dark hair was disheveled, like a hand had been pushed through it many times.

'Dammit! What do you take me for? I can't get here on _your_ time but that's how it is!' His father let out an irate sigh. 'I am sick and tired of this discussion. I'm going to bed.'

'You always say that! Can't we talk about this as two responsible parents?'

'I said I don't want to talk any more about it.'

'But your son-'

'_He's not my only son!'_

A deafening silence filled the kitchen. Blaine quietly slipped into the room and caught the look of horror on his mother's face as she stared at his father.

'_What?'_ she whispered. So far both of his parents had not taken any notice of Blaine, but Blaine was silently trying to digest his father's words. What did he mean?

'Linda,' his father said, his voice betraying no emotion. 'I had an affair with Linda…'

'How long ago was this?' his mother whispered again. Blaine knew that Linda was a long-time friend of his mother's and newly-widowed. She used to bring her son Cooper over to play at their house but Blaine didn't get along with him very much. He was too controlling and had a habit of always telling Blaine what to do. They had moved to Los Angeles last year and Blaine hadn't seen either of them since.

'I…it started a while ago and…things weren't working out with her and Paul, so we…'

'You didn't tell me? After all these _years_, you didn't tell your _son_ that he had a stepbrother?'

'I…'

'And all those conferences you've been to, you…you were flying over to spend time with her and…' Blaine had never heard his mother speak so quietly, and he was getting a little worried. His father was angry and his mother was on the verge of tears and he didn't understand what was going on.

'Yes,' his father said, and Blaine was taken aback by the fury in his eyes. 'Yes, I have gone to see her. We are in love with each other and we would be together, but the only reason why I'm staying here is for him!' He pointed over to Blaine, and Blaine felt like shaking. He felt his mother's teary eyes on him and a surge of emotion ran through him; all he wanted to do was to protect her.

'Honey, why don't you go back to bed? I'll be there later, okay?'

Comforted only slightly by his mother's words, Blaine nodded obediently and wandered back into the hallway. He didn't return to his bedroom but peeked around the doorway where he could see his parents but neither of his parents could see him. After a long pause, his mother's soft voice filled the kitchen, but it sounded furious.

'How _dare_ you,' she hissed, stepping closer to her husband. 'When have you ever been there for Blaine? I was there to see his first step, his first day of school and every single one of his birthdays, and if I knew you were such a lying, pathetic excuse for a man, I never would have married you. I would have raised Blaine on my own and let you live with that bitch and your bastard child for all I care!'

A resounding slap echoed through the kitchen and rang loud in Blaine's ears. Blaine's protective instinct towards his mother vanished along with his courage; he didn't want his father to hit him, too.

'You think you're a good mother?' his father responded, venom in his voice. 'I don't think you're fit enough to be. I'm taking custody and I'm bringing him with me to California. You just wait and see.' His eyes turned around and found Blaine, and he stepped towards him. Blaine trembled for real this time. He couldn't think of what to do but it was his mother's firm reply that stopped his father.

'That won't happen.'

Blaine peeked up at the sound of his mother's voice. Her finger was pointed directly at his father and from it, a swirling, purple dust began to take form.

'Wh-what are you doing?' his father stammered, taking a step back. 'You told me you couldn't use force yourself to use magic.'

His mother's eyes were glowing fiercely but her voice was calm as she spoke.

'This isn't magic,' his mother replied, her eyes narrowing. 'This is a curse. You are a cold, heartless little man and you deserve to be punished for what you have done to our family.'

'No…'

The clock in the kitchen chimed once to announce the midnight hour. Frightened more for his mother, Blaine felt a small burst of adrenaline course through him and he used that to run into the kitchen.

'Blaine will never be yours!' his mother said, her voice now shaking, the dust cloud swirling faster and faster. 'No-one will ever be yours! You will live the rest of your life knowing this in your tiny, miserable heart!'

'Mom?' Blaine said, placing himself between his parents. Then it happened all at once. He heard his mother shout _Blaine, no!_ and he felt a rush of something towards him that almost knocked him off his feet. Looking around wildly, whatever had hit him was now surrounding him in a haze of purple and he felt the strangest sensation of everything around him becoming bigger. Or was he getting smaller? He heard his mother's anguished cry and then somehow he knew that he was shrinking. After a while the sensation passed and the kitchen became eerily silent. There was a light sprinkling of dust on the floor and he didn't know what had happened, but he had a heavy feeling that his mother was gone.

Blaine looked up to see his father leaning over him with a fearful look in his eyes. From his position on the kitchen floor, his father looked like a giant. He could hear his father's heavy breathing above him and it sounded as loud as a gale. The kitchen table, the stovetop and the sink all looked miles away from where he was standing. He tried to process what had happened, but he couldn't, instead looking back up at his father with the same fearful expression in his eyes.

'Dad?'

His father didn't answer him; nor did he answer him when he scooped Blaine up in the palm of his hand and set him down on the desk in his study. He moved away again and returned with his wife's beret that was sitting on an armchair in the room. Blaine had laid himself down on the desk and curled up into a ball, shivering. Every object on the desk looked enormous and while he didn't feel any different, he knew there was something not quite right about him. His father placed the beret over Blaine to cover him up to his chin and then set about opening some drawers, pulling out a pen and a piece of paper.

'Dad-' Blaine tried again, hoping to get some explanation. His mind was all muddled up.

'Go to sleep, son,' his father replied, not looking at Blaine. He was staring blankly at the paper and squeezing his fist around the pen in his hand. Watching his father quietly and still confused, Blaine closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep.


	10. Chapter IX

The bedroom was so silent that Kurt could hear the sound of his own shallow breathing. It was a shocked kind of silence that was shrouded in disbelief at what he had heard and not knowing what to say.

'And then what happened?' he eventually prompted, keeping his voice to a whisper and gripping his comforter as he stared at Blaine, who had just told him what had sounded like the birthday from hell.

'My father didn't really know what to do with me. He fed me crumbs off his plate and I stayed in my pajamas for two days until he decided to leave me at Dalton.'

'Oh, Blaine…'

'I guess it was kind of a last-minute decision, but it turned out to be the best one he ever made. Everyone at Dalton's been really great and supportive.' He sighed and looked down at his sock-covered feet. 'I still miss my Mom, though. There's always something that I see or smell or hear that reminds me of her every day. I think it was the curse that killed her, because she didn't have a nasty bone in her body. I don't blame her for being so angry towards my father. But it all happened such a long time ago. Please don't cry, Kurt.'

Kurt hadn't realized his eyes had watered until a tear began to fall down his cheek. He hastily wiped it away with the back of his hand.

'It's just that my struggles seem so insignificant compared to yours,' Kurt said, sniffing quietly. 'After what happened with your mother and your father practically dumping you without saying goodbye.'

'They're not insignificant, Kurt,' Blaine replied. 'Just different. You've been through a tough time and so have I. But time has a way of healing a lot of things, sometimes for the better.'

Kurt sniffed again and nodded. Blaine was right and Kurt couldn't help but wonder if time had given Blaine such a mature perspective on dealing with his misfortune.

'Do you…' Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt could see Blaine hesitate slightly. 'Miss your Mom?'

'I do. I still think about her,' Kurt replied. 'She passed away when I was really young.'

Blaine nodded, looking pensive. Kurt wanted to tell Blaine how sorry he was and how difficult it must have been for him, but he was too caught up in his own whirl of emotions. He thought how strange it was that instead of offering reassurance to the other boy, Blaine was the one comforting him.

'Life has a way of dealing you some hard cards when you're least equipped to deal with it,' Blaine said gently. 'You just have to believe that things will get better. At least now you're out of harm's way. And you get to spend more time at home with your family.'

'That's true.' Kurt had never thought of it that way. He was actually looking forward to spending his first Christmas with more than just his father and a few distant relatives.

'Now, I know the best remedy for a little cheering up, or getting some Christmas cheer,' Blaine said as he hopped down from the alarm clock. 'Can you guess what it is?'

Kurt shook his head.

'_Singing!'_ Blaine exclaimed, opening his arms out wide. Kurt had to stifle his amusement at the smaller boy's exuberance by biting down on his lower lip. 'I know you haven't sung since being in your school's glee club, but from what I've gathered from Rachel, she's got some serious competition in the singing stakes.'

'Blaine, I…I don't know.'

'But I'm going to sing it with you. It'll be our duet. Have you heard of _Baby, It's Cold Outside?_

Kurt sat up a little straighter. 'I know the lyrics.'

'Great! I know it would sound better with backing music but I think we can manage without.' Blaine made a hand gesture towards Kurt. 'Would you like to start?'

Kurt let out a deep breath. He was a little nervous to start singing after avoiding it for so long, but he couldn't deny that to Blaine, not after what he had told Kurt that afternoon. It was far too difficult to resist when Blaine stood patiently on his bedside table with eagerness shining in his eyes. So he opened his mouth hesitantly and began to sing.

'_I really can't stay...'_

He looked over to Blaine for the other boy to continue. He was startled to see him with his mouth gaping open and Kurt wondered if it was because of how rusty his voice sounded. But then Blaine shook his head and that seemed to snap him out of his bewilderment to sing his part in return.

'_But baby, it's cold outside...'_

Kurt felt his cheeks flush a little at the use of the word "baby", but he managed to sing his part back to Blaine. They sang back and forth like a game of cat and mouse, singing it a little slower than Kurt knew the tempo of the song to be, but he didn't mind so much. During the final verse, their voices blended together in perfect harmony. They were both panting slightly by the time they had finished. Kurt had ended up with his chin resting on his arms that were folded across the edge of his bedside table. Blaine was sitting cross-legged in front of him.

'Wow,' Blaine said, after long pause. 'You _do_ have an amazing voice, Kurt.'

'Thank-you,' Kurt replied, his gaze wandering off to the corner of his room. He felt such warmth inside him that he hadn't felt for a long time, but it was much more than that. Kurt could only describe it as joy. He lifted one arm up and rested his cheek against the palm of his hand, feeling pleased with himself.

'Kurt?'

'Mmm?' He looked down at Blaine. There was such a fondness in the smaller boy's eyes that it made Kurt forget to take a breath. Blaine tilted his head and observed him with a curious but somewhat delighted expression.

'It's nice to see you smile.'

…

They had stayed up late that night singing other festive songs and turning them into duets. Unlike Rachel, Kurt listened to every song suggestion that Blaine made and did not interrupt him with tips to improve or suggestions while singing. Kurt had blushed a little when Blaine had pointed out his smile, but he knew Kurt couldn't hold it in for longer, even if he tried. He continued to smile throughout and Blaine definitely believed it suited him much, much better than a frown.

But there was something in that smile that he couldn't quite place. It was almost as if Kurt had a secret to tell that was meant only for him. Blaine quickly put the thought out of his mind. Whatever it was, it was nothing compared to any of the smiles he had received before.

He was still lying awake and mulling over the events of the day. Kurt had fallen into a deep sleep some time ago. He thought of going out on the roof to check the time but he knew it wouldn't help him with falling asleep. At some point, cold air began to drift through the upstairs hallway of the dollhouse and it wasn't long before it began to bother him. Blaine pulled his blankets closer to him but the cold wasn't stopping. Having an excuse to get out of bed, he climbed downstairs and walked out the front door.

The draft was coming through the gap under the closed door of Kurt's bedroom. Blaine looked behind him to Kurt's bedside table and noted the time. It was a few minutes after one o'clock. He reasoned that Kurt had felt the change in temperature too, for he mumbled something in his sleep and turned over, burying himself further under the covers of his bed. Blaine walked over to the door and slid under the gap to investigate.

It was much cooler in the hallway and it caused Blaine to clutch his hands close to his elbows and shiver. The open window wasn't the first thing Blaine noticed. It was the Persian cat that sat atop the window sill with his back turned to him. His paws were pushing down on the edges of the window slowly and after a moment, the window slid closed, blocking the night air and the draft that was flowing through. The moonlight streaming through the window gave enough light to illuminate the cat as he hopped down from the ledge.

Blaine couldn't deny that Sebastian was a gorgeous cat to behold. His fur was soft and plentiful and glowed bright in the light of the moon. His striking green eyes always seemed to be trained on Blaine whenever he went. Right now, Blaine was content at not being seen, but he knew it wouldn't last long as Sebastian began to look at his surroundings, checking to see if the coast was clear. The green eyes found him swiftly. Sebastian froze for a moment, but he composed himself just as quickly and wandered over to where Blaine was standing.

'_Hey…'_ Sebastian purred, moving closer with a predatory look in his eyes. 'Didn't see you there, sugarpuss.'

'I'm kind of hard to spot, sometimes,' Blaine replied warily, smiling a little when the cat snorted. 'What are you doing out so late at night?'

'Everything happens at night, sweetheart,' Sebastian replied, sitting down in front of him. 'Feline get togethers, wanderings in the park…and wanderings elsewhere,' he continued, his ever-present smirk beginning to materialize on his face.

Blaine felt his smile falter a little. 'What do you mean?'

'Well, I don't think it would be appropriate for the ears of a little schoolboy like yourself,' Sebastian said, looking Blaine over. 'But I do get a _lot_ of action at this hour. I would be happy to spell it out for you.'

'No, I get it,' Blaine said quickly, not really wanting to hear details. 'Don't you have a curfew?'

'Curfews mean nothing when you've got pretty little pussycats out there that want to f-'

'Okay, okay!' Blaine cut him off, heat rising to his cheeks.

'I was going to say fraternize,' Sebastian replied, his eyes glittering in mirth. 'But I see you get the point. It's just so easy to spot a lonely kitty that is desperate for my company. So I give them what they need. They can't help themselves the next night from coming back for more, but by that time I've moved on to the next pussycat in the neighborhood.'

Blaine gasped. 'You get together with a different one each night? You really are a tomcat!'

'Oh, don't be such a sourpuss,' Sebastian chided, but it verged on friendly. His tail curled around to rest somewhere behind Blaine, close enough to touch. 'I'm providing them a good and thorough service, free of charge.'

'But you can't go around with different cats each time!' Blaine said, his voice rising a little. 'What if they haven't been vaccinated?'

'Relax, they all have. They've made it law here.'

'What if they get pregnant?' Blaine continued, ignoring Sebastian's comment. 'What are they going to do once their owners find them with a litter of kittens?'

Sebastian stared at him for a little while before answering with a wide smirk. It did nothing but unnerve Blaine.

'Oh, that's cute,' Sebastian chuckled. Blaine could feel his tail brushing very close to his back. 'Who said anything about female cats?'

It took a moment for Blaine to realize what he meant.

'_Oh,'_ Blaine said, slightly embarrassed. 'So…'

'Yes,' Sebastian replied, answering for him. Now Blaine could really feel the tail brushing up against his back. 'Pity you were born human.' He stood up and let his tail curl around Blaine as Blaine stood stock-still, holding his breath. 'Because if you were a cat, I would have had my paws all over you before you would have even a chance to purr.'

Sebastian let his tail unfurl from Blaine slowly and it brushed up against every part of Blaine's body as he turned around and stalked away.

Blaine shivered again, but it wasn't from the cold this time.


	11. Chapter X

There were two occurrences over the course of a week that made Kurt remember Blaine's words about being half-fairy. The first was when Sebastian was slowly making his way towards one of the chairs in the living room, tail raised and swinging side by side behind him.

'_Sebastian,'_ Kurt warned, glaring down at the cat. Sebastian returned the glare briefly before advancing again towards the chair, where Blaine was perched on the armrest and reading opposite the sofa that Kurt was seated on.

'Stupid cat,' Kurt muttered, standing up with the intention of pulling Sebastian away before he reached Blaine, but the cat was too quick for him. He was a little worried to see Blaine slide down to the middle of the chair and shuffle closer to the edge. Kurt worried his bottom lip between his teeth and watched as Blaine bent over to Sebastian and whispered something in the cat's ear. The cat stood still with his ears pricked up and it almost looked to Kurt like he was listening. Sebastian stalked away, turning when Blaine was out of his sight to hiss at Kurt and disappear into the kitchen.

'What was that all about?' Kurt asked Blaine as he helped him up to the armrest and his abandoned book.

'I told him I will pet him tonight if he leaves me alone for the rest of the day, and he agreed,' Blaine replied. His expression turned solemn. 'Also, he doesn't like it when you call him stupid. He's a very clever cat.'

Kurt didn't know how to respond to this, so he returned to reading his own book in silence.

The second was when he was sorting out his wardrobe while Blaine watched him from the terrace of the dollhouse, having his afternoon coffee and biscotti. Kurt turned away for a few seconds to pull out a thick grey coat, and when he turned back around again, Blaine had vanished. His eyes caught him sitting up on the alarm clock, nibbling the same square cookie in his hand.

'Blaine…' Kurt began, staring at him in bewilderment. 'How did you get up there so quickly?'

Blaine froze mid-chew as his eyes grew comically wide. He looked around himself before staring up at Kurt.

'I don't _know,_' he responded slowly, his expression incredulous.

Blaine had been a constant source of comfort and at times entertainment for Kurt. Sometimes Kurt wondered if Blaine chirpy attitude had been an act to pull him out of his glum moods and to help cheer him up. But he quickly learned that Blaine was just a cheerful person. His energy and enthusiasm were infectious, and Kurt couldn't help himself from smiling a little when Blaine laughed at something he found amusing.

While he enjoyed their long conversations over decaf coffee and reading together in silence or singing a duet when Blaine declared the time for it, Kurt's favorite part of being around Blaine was watching him sleep. When his thoughts began chipping away all hopes of a peaceful night's rest, Kurt would sit by the dollhouse in the dark and observe Blaine some distance away through one of the little brown windows. Blaine slept with a small frown on his face, his body tucked snug under the comforter and blankets of his bed as his tiny chest rose and fell with each intake of breath. Kurt always fell asleep in his own bed soon afterwards.

Kurt began to wonder about the other people in Blaine's life that had supported and cared for him. He could feel the admiration in the common room at Dalton when he had returned Blaine to his peers. Blaine loved everybody; there was no doubt about that. But he wondered if there was room in Blaine's big heart for another kind of love. Kurt didn't want to name the feeling of his own heart beating faster when he felt Blaine's amber eyes on him, or when his small hand brushed against his palm, or when he smiled so bright that Kurt thought the sun was shining outside. It was selfish, but he longed to keep the smaller boy beside him and never let him go.

_We're friends_, Kurt told himself. Then why did that make him feel so disappointed?

…

It was already mid-December when Kurt had started to set up the Christmas tree. Blaine thought this was a little late, considering Dalton had their decorations and trees up before the end of November, until Kurt told him the reason for the date.

'It was my Mom's birthday on the fifteenth,' Kurt said, straightening out one of the branches as Blaine looked on. 'So we always set the tree up for her on her birthday.'

'That's a nice tradition to have,' Blaine added thoughtfully.

'It's something I insist on,' Kurt replied, as Finn wandered in to the living room.

'Hey, you need any help?' Finn asked, placing his hands on his waist and eyeing the box of decorations in Kurt's hands.

'Sure, help me with these,' Kurt said, and Blaine watched as the two boys worked around each other, placing ornaments and baubles on the edge of each branch. He did really want to help but there was nothing much he could do, considering how large and heavy the ornaments looked. No two ornaments were the same and ranged from wooden toy soldiers to little reindeer.

'They're all different,' he noted. He meant it more of an observation than a criticism.

'They don't really match, do they?' Kurt replied, placing another bauble on the tree. 'I purchase a new one each year and I try to buy one that represents something special from the year to remember it by. Like this one,' he said, pointing to a white plastic birthday cake hanging on one branch. 'That was the year I turned ten. And this one,' he continued, tapping a rocking horse. 'I rode on a horse for the first time at a summer fair.'

'And what do you have for this year?' Blaine asked.

Kurt hesitated a little. 'I was going to, um, put it up a bit later but…' He reached in to the pocket of his jumper and pulled out a small paper bag. He pulled the ornament out carefully and moved closer to Blaine. It was purple butterfly shape, with silver glitter laced around the edges. It looked rather delicate as the purple areas were made of glass.

'They look like wings,' Blaine remarked, looking at it curiously.

'They're, um, fairy wings,' Kurt added, circling the purple glass with the tip of his finger. 'For…uh…you. You know, not that you have wings or anything but I thought it would be nice…to have you represented on the tree because…' Kurt's voice trailed off and he looked down at the fairy wings with sudden interest. Blaine didn't need to hear the rest because he already knew what Kurt was trying to say.

_I think you're something special._

'That's…that's lovely, Kurt,' Blaine said, feeling genuinely touched by the gesture. 'Thank-you.'

'It's no problem,' Kurt quickly replied, a faint blush rising to his cheeks. Blaine had noticed Kurt had been doing quite a lot of blushing lately. He thought it might have something to do with the heating in the house. Either way, he found it quite endearing.

'You mind if I ask you something?' Finn had just finished placing the star up on the top of the tree and was now holding out his palm to Blaine. 'Just a small favor?'

'Sure,' Blaine replied, glancing over at Kurt, who had turned away to place the fairy wings ornament on the tree. He stepped up on to Finn's palm and sat down. Finn walked them over to the tree and gazed up at where he had just placed the star.

'Do you think…' he began, and Blaine squeaked as Finn lifted him up high in the air, his palm now raised well past his head. '…that this star looks straight to you?'

'_Finn!'_ Blaine heard Kurt call from below. 'Put him _down!_'

'Y-yeah,' Blaine stammered before he felt himself being lowered to Finn's chest. 'It looks straight.' He was facing Kurt, who seemed even more pale than normal and whose eyes looked fraught with worry.

'Sorry, dude,' Finn said to him. 'I wasn't thinking when I did that.'

'It's all right,' Blaine replied. He gave Kurt a smile of reassurance. 'That was kind of fun, actually.'

…

Christmas day came early. Blaine woke to the sound of Kurt pulling back the covers of his bed and shrugging on his dressing gown. Blaine yawned and slipped out of his own bed, wandering sleepily over to the terrace to see what Kurt was up to. It couldn't have been any time later than six-thirty, he reasoned. Kurt turned his head towards the dollhouse and Blaine saw a look of guilt cross his features.

'Oh, I didn't mean to wake you,' Kurt whispered, walking closer to the house and kneeling down in front of Blaine. 'Merry Christmas, I guess.'

'Merry Christmas, Kurt,' Blaine replied, no longer feeling sleepy now that he had seen something curious flash through Kurt's eyes. 'Are you planning on going downstairs to the Christmas tree?'

'Yes,' Kurt replied, and confirmed to Blaine that it was excitement that he had seen in Kurt's eyes before. 'Would you like to join me?'

They crept downstairs and into the living room to find Finn sitting on the floor by the tree, inspecting a square candy-cane patterned present. Burt and Carole were presumably still asleep.

'You guys have to tell me what you've got,' Finn said, squinting at the box in his hands. 'Seriously, I've been waiting for the past half-hour and I'm dying to know.'

'We'll have to find out then, won't we?' Kurt replied, quickly snatching up the box from Finn's hands as he sat down the floor. He placed the box between them and Blaine climbed down to sit on Kurt's knee, seeing for the first time a paper tag on the present that read _For Blaine & Kurt._

'You do the honors,' he told Kurt, and he rubbed his palms together as Kurt carefully unwrapped the present. Finn urged him to go quicker, his eyes shining with just as much excitement. When the gift was finally unwrapped, Kurt and Finn stared at it in astonishment. It took Blaine a little longer to work out the big picture on the box, but when he did, he made an elated leap off Kurt's knee. It was a brand new iPhone with a post-it note attached to the side of the box.

'Cool!' Finn whispered as Kurt read the note.

'_If we can't have face-to-face time, who says we can't still Facetime?' _Blaine chuckled and muttered _dorks_ under his breath_. 'Merry Christmas! Warblers. _Well…' Kurt continued, eyes flicking back to the box. 'That's…very generous.'

'I bet it was Trent's idea,' Blaine said, making a mental note to call and thank him later. 'There's a small one for you somewhere, Kurt.'

'For me?' Blaine made his way past the new phone towards the edge of the Christmas tree. It felt like he was entering a pine forest of colored lights but he quickly located the parcel covered in red tissue paper. He nudged it towards Kurt.

'Carole helped me a bit with attaching the back to it, so…' Blaine said, watching with his hands clasped behind his back as Kurt removed the paper and uncovered the small velvet box that was big enough to hold a piece of jewelry. 'I hope you like it.'

Blaine held his breath as Kurt opened the box. He was a little worried by Kurt's silence as he stared at the item that the box held, so he decided to continue talking. 'It's a brooch made out of Juicy Fruit wrappers. I know how you have a brooch collection like I have my bowtie collection, and I know you like Juicy Fruit, so I put the two together.'

'It's perfect,' Kurt whispered, and the smile that shone on Kurt's face as he touched the brooch reverently was better than any phone or Christmas present that Blaine could have received.


	12. Chapter XI

That afternoon in Kurt's bedroom, Blaine called Trent on Facetime. Kurt had leaned the phone against the alarm clock and excused himself down to the kitchen to give Blaine some privacy, even though Blaine had insisted that he could stay. Blaine laughed again at the phone's wallpaper as he attempted to unlock the screen, which featured a group shot of the Warblers in various poses.

'We all chipped in a little,' Trent replied, after Blaine had wished him a merry Christmas and thanked him profusely for the gift. 'So, how has the day been?'

'Very nice so far,' Blaine answered. He was sitting in front of the phone with his hands in his lap. 'Kurt and his family gave me a cardigan, which I'm now wearing.' He pointed to the hand-knitted navy cardigan which was emblazoned with a red letter "B".

'Classy.'

'I thought so too. And I received the usual from Dalton.' Blaine held up a small leather-bound planner, a gift every Dalton student received before the new year. 'Notice anything different?'

Trent squinted at it through the phone. 'I got mine two days ago, but no. Nothing out of the ordinary.'

'Page four,' Blaine replied, flipping to the page and holding the planner up to the screen. Trent laughed when he saw it.

'Oh, that lucky bird,' Trent chortled, slapping the palms of his hands together. 'Pavarotti gets a full-page spread, and we don't?'

Blaine chuckled. 'If anyone deserves to be called a Warbler, it's him.' He put the planner down beside him. 'How is he?'

'Fine. The new kid's been treating him well, feeding him daily and giving him fresh air every day.' Trent leaned in closer to the screen. 'Now, I want you to tell me about what it has been like living with Kurt and his family. Don't hold back - I want to know _everything.'_

'And what do I get in return?' Blaine asked teasingly.

'You'll find out how we discovered that Wesley is afraid of the dark.'

'Okay.'

Blaine told him about the events of the past month, moving into the dollhouse and dealing with the family's cat. He spoke about having Christmas lunch with only Kurt, Finn, Carole and Burt. They had decided to spend Christmas day together without any relatives. Blaine was assured by Burt and Carole that they wanted to include him in the celebrations and that they had had wanted to spend their first Christmas without the nosy old in-laws for once. He learnt from Trent that the Warblers uncovered Wes's fear of the dark when it suddenly became pitch black backstage before their performance at Sectionals. Blaine was trying not to cry with laughter at the image of Wes clutching David's arm in fear as he walked onstage.

'So does that mean you'll be back after New Year?' Trent asked hopefully.

Blaine frowned. 'I'm not sure if Kurt is ready to go back yet. And honestly? Besides seeing you and the Warblers, I'm really not sure if I'm ready to go back, either.'

'It's a good thing you're doing for Kurt, my dear friend,' Trent said, smiling brightly. 'So take your time. That does mean we will be pestering you with video calls when the need arises.'

'That's oka-' Blaine began, but he stopped himself and crossed his arms. 'Trent, surely you don't mean…'

'One-am wake up calls? Oh yes,' Trent replied, and he was laughing now. 'You're not getting out of those.'

'Oh no…' Blaine whined, buying his face in his hands. Spontaneous parties occurring after midnight could strike in the Dalton dormitories at any time, and his dorm room had certainly not been immune in the past to a number of uninvited and overly-excited guests. _'Trent…'_

'Hey, you guys are invited,' Trent said firmly, jabbing a finger in his direction. 'Whether you value your sleep or not!'

…

It was a few days later that Blaine walked into Kurt's room after being dropped off at the top of the stairs by Carole. They had shared afternoon tea and a few laughs over the other three men in the house (and Sebastian, though Carole seemed just as fond to talk about him as she did of her husband, son and stepson). He spotted Kurt lounging on his bed with a copy of _Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales_ settled on his chest. Kurt was reading intently, but he must have sensed Blaine's presence because he moved his hand to cover the title on the front of the book.

'Hi Blaine,' Kurt said, eyes flicking to him cautiously over the pages of the book.

'Hi, Kurt,' Blaine replied. He tilted his head to look at the book in Kurt's hands, then to the other books stacked high on Kurt's beside table. They ranged from a well-thumbed through children's novel to a volume of fables.

'Would you like to sit up here?' Kurt asked him, noticing that Blaine hadn't moved.

'No thank-you, I'm fine where I am,' Blaine replied. After a minute, Blaine noticed Kurt's face had slowly turned pink, and he peeked almost shyly from behind his book to look down at Blaine, who was still staring at the book in his hands.

'Um…I, uh…' Kurt began, not knowing what to say. His cheeks flushed even more. 'You're…you're still standing there.'

'Yeah,' Blaine said carefully, stepping forward. 'Why are you reading fairytales?'

'For…um…homework,' Kurt replied, not meeting his eyes. It was a feeble excuse and Blaine knew it.

'I didn't realize it was part of the recommended reading.'

Kurt eyed him warily for a moment and slowly put the book down. 'I…' he began again, then sighed and sat up to face Blaine. 'I wanted to see if there was anything in them about fairy curses.' His eyes flickered away from Blaine quickly, as if afraid to find him angry.

But Blaine didn't feel anything of the sort. He sighed and sat down on the carpet. 'We've looked,' he said. 'Mrs Frederick and I. Fairytales, encyclopedias, the Internet.' He shook his head. 'But there isn't much information on fairies' curses because they are practically unheard of, let alone anything that could break the curse. Believe me, we've tried everything. But after a while, we realized we were getting nowhere so we kind of just gave up on it.'

'But what if you tried again?' Kurt prompted. He looked at Blaine with a resolve in his eyes that Blaine had never seen before. 'Like a different approach. I can research, you won't have to do anything…'

'Kurt, I doubt that there's much we can find.'

Kurt looked down at his comforter and began to pick at a loose thread. 'I just want to do something for you, that's all.'

Blaine suddenly felt a little guilty. He had spent the past month in Kurt's company, trying to keep him in good spirits without allowing Kurt to do the same to him. Sure, he was helping Kurt. But couldn't he let Kurt help him? Would it help to take away a little of Kurt's misery by giving him the opportunity to give hope to someone else?

'Okay,' Blaine said, as Kurt looked up. 'But I'm helping you. We can start the research after New Year's, if that's okay.'

'Sure,' Kurt replied. He looked down at his book. 'Do you mind if I, um, continue reading?'

'Not at all,' Blaine said. 'Do you mind if I read along with you?'

Kurt smiled a little at that. 'Not at all,' he replied, carefully picking up Blaine and scooting back against the pillows. Blaine was placed down on the comforter as Kurt picked up another book from his bedside table and flicked through it. 'I was thinking about reading _The Ugly Duckling_ again. It was one of my favorites when I was little.'

'Mine too,' Blaine replied, staring at the black and white illustrations underneath the title. He looked up at Kurt, who had slid down to lie on his back. 'Can I sit up there?' he asked, motioning to Kurt's chest.

'Oh…sure,' Kurt said, and then Blaine felt strong fingers around his waist as he was picked up and placed on a soft acrylic sweater. Blaine was comfortable here; Kurt was warm and the light rise and fall of his chest felt very soothing underneath him. Kurt propped the book up over his stomach.

'Can you read it aloud?' Blaine asked, resting his hands on Kurt's sweater.

As Kurt began to read, Blaine thoughts drifted to finding a cure that would once and for all reverse his mother's curse and make him the size he used to be. All he had to rely on was hope. And by hope, he meant Kurt.


	13. Chapter XII

He didn't care that a new year had been brought in. All that mattered to Sebastian was that despite the frosty weather, it was a sunny day outside and he yearned for a few hours of solitude to explore the neighborhood. As he rounded the corner of the alleyway a few blocks away from the family home, he didn't expect that anything, or for that matter anyone, could cast a shadow over his day. But halfway down the alleyway, a Russian Blue appeared to have just blocked out the sun in front of him.

'Well, hello housecat…' The cat stepped in his path and Sebastian froze. 'It's a pleasure to see you again.'

Sebastian's reply was terse. 'Jesse.'

Jesse St James was the residential tomcat of the neighborhood bordering the one that Sebastian inhabited. He had lived on the streets since being kicked out of his family home and found solace as the leader of a gang of cats that harassed anyone, be they human, feline or animal, for food. While Sebastian was free to venture outside of his neighborhood as he pleased, he made sure that he made himself scarce when the Russian Blue came in his line of sight. He made it a point to avoid crossing paths with Jesse for the simple reason that he did not trust the other cat.

'So,' Jesse said, ignoring Sebastian's obvious discomfort. 'I thought you were only on the prowl for fresh blood at night.'

Sebastian scoffed. 'They don't just come out at night. Besides, I wanted some fresh air.'

Jesse laughed sharply. 'Of course you would, housecat. I bet it's no fun being smothered with cuddles and generic pet food, hmm?'

Sebastian's response was fast. 'I bet it's no fun trawling the dumpsters for your next scrap of a meal, either.'

A grin spread across Jesse's face. 'Touché.' Sebastian turned around and walked back from where he came, cursing under his breath for having his day out cut short. It wasn't long before he could hear paws hitting the pavement behind him and he looked over his shoulder to find Jesse following him.

'You know, housecat,' Jesse said, after Sebastian sighed and continued walking. The other cat jogged up to meet him. 'We're not all that different, really. I appreciate my neighborhood and you appreciate yours. I like chasing tail, you like chasing tail, though you prefer the male variety and I like mine to be expressive and vocal. And we both know that we can get that anywhere.'

'Not quite everywhere.'

'How do you mean?'

Sebastian continued walking, despite knowing he had been hooked into continuing the conversation. 'There are some places I wouldn't be caught chasing a rat in. Take Lima Heights Adjacent as an example.'

Both cats shuddered at the mention of the name.

'Ergh,' Jesse said, a look of distaste playing across his features. 'Let's not go there. Ah…' Sebastian had stopped in front of his home, and was eying Jesse warily. 'The humble abode. I'm sure you can lend an old friend a bite to eat?'

Sebastian opened his mouth to say that he was not an old friend or a friend at all for that matter, but Jesse walked past him and up to the front door.

'Hey, wait a second…' Sebastian called, but Jesse had already disappeared through the cat flap. Cursing quickly, Sebastian sprinted up to the front door and through the cat flap. He found Jesse in the middle of the hallway.

'I'm ravenous,' Jesse said, ignoring Sebastian's glare as he trotted through to the kitchen.

'Yeah, well, get what you want and hurry up,' Sebastian hissed, surveying the area around him. Burt and Carole were out but he didn't know long they would take to return. He stood by the stairs and watched as Jesse stalked over to the kitchen table and hopped up on to a chair. He was about to jump up on the tabletop but he stopped as he looked back at Sebastian.

'You aren't going to join me, housecat?'

'I've already been fed,' Sebastian replied, watching with unease as Jesse leapt down and approached him. 'I thought you were hungry?'

'What are you up to?' Jesse attempted to pass Sebastian but he was sidestepped by the other cat.

'Nothing,' Sebastian replied, firmer this time. 'I'm looking out for my owners.'

'I know that look,' Jesse said, and gazed up at the stairs behind Sebastian. 'What are you hiding?'

'What? Who said I was guarding anyone?' His mouth closed shut when he realized what he had said.

'Nice try,' Jesse remarked, smirking. He stared at a spot below Sebastian's ears. 'You have something on your fur.'

'I have-' Sebastian began, trying to look up at his ears just as Jesse sprinted past him to climb the stairs.

'_Hey!'_ Sebastian hissed, sprinting behind him. 'C'mon, you can't go up there!'

He had lost control of the situation too fast and he felt a cold dread seep into his blood when he reached the top of the stairs to find Jesse stalking across to Kurt's room. He couldn't let the other cat see Blaine or it would be the end of all three of them.

'Take it easy, housecat,' Jesse drawled in front of the doorway. 'There's no reason to be so-'

It was that moment that Kurt chose to walk out of his room and stop short when he took in the sight of the unwelcome guest. Sebastian had never been more thankful to see him than at that moment.

'What on earth…' Kurt began, before advancing towards Jesse, who shrieked in surprise and stumbled in his effort to move towards the stairs. 'Get out! Shoo!'

Jesse sprinted down the stairs as Kurt and Sebastian raced after him. He managed to fly through the cat flap before Kurt opened the door to see him out.

'_Don't try coming back!'_ Kurt shouted from the doorway as Jesse hastened down the driveway to the sidewalk. '_Stay away from our family!'_

'_You heard him, stay away from our family!'_ Sebastian called, laughing when Jesse tripped over himself in his haste to get away before stumbling out of sight. He glanced up happily to find a furious Kurt glowering back at him. His moment of joy faded into a scowl.

'Not my problem,' Sebastian quipped, walking away before Kurt had a chance to reprimand him.

…

In the week after the new year, Kurt had begun his research on fairy curses, with Blaine assisting him. They read books together and watched more than a dozen children's movies (though it was more for entertainment purposes and a better way to spend the day than going outside in the cold) but there had been little in terms of progress. Despite Blaine assuring him to take his time, Kurt found himself searching the internet at night while Blaine was asleep. By the end of the week, Kurt had exhausted all hope of finding a solution. He couldn't tell Blaine this or let his frustrations show but it did lead him to think of other options.

_What we need is a second opinion_ Kurt thought as they sat in the living room and watched an animated adaption of _Peter Pan_. Kurt fixed his gaze to Blaine on the armrest and contemplated the smaller boy as he watched the movie. Blaine was wearing a vest and a green bowtie with grey pants and a long-sleeved shirt underneath. He sat there enthralled by the characters on the screen, his long, thick eyelashes resting above his rosy cheeks. Kurt flushed a little when Blaine caught him staring for a little too long and turned his attention back to the movie on the screen and his musings. He needed someone who knew about fairies, or at least had the childlike disposition to believe in them.

His brain immediately conjured up the face of Brittany S. Pierce.

The real Brittany turned up a day later after a text message from Kurt and a plea not to tell anyone else about Blaine's existence. Kurt received the blonde-haired girl before evening who was wearing a faux-fur ski beanie with ear flaps and clothing that did little to protect her from the elements. She crouched down near the bedside table and examined Blaine for a few seconds.

'I'm Blaine,' the smaller boy said, after a beat.

'Hi, I'm Brittany,' the girl replied, her eyes unblinking. 'Kurt tells me you're only half-fairy.' When Blaine nodded, she continued. 'That's good. Because the fairies that live in my closet have been eating holes in my clothes. And I suspect they've been stealing my pop tarts.'

Kurt met Blaine's eyes and he shrugged. Clearly he didn't expect anything else from the girl. 'Blaine used to be as tall as we were, but he was hit with a curse when he was younger. Do you have any ideas on how to break a fairy's curse?'

'Hmm…' Brittany said, casting her gaze up to the ceiling. 'What I've learned from fairytales is that a kiss can be enough to break a spell or lift a curse.'

'We've…kind of tried that,' Blaine said sheepishly, and Kurt stared at him. 'With the Warblers.' Blaine ran a hand across the back of his neck. 'But, I suppose it didn't work.'

Kurt suddenly found himself picturing Blaine being passed around the group of boys while they received him with kisses and whispered _I love yous_, but he shook the thought away. 'Any other ideas?'

'Maybe you need to do the opposite of what was said in the curse,' Brittany replied, shrugging. 'And maybe that could be enough power to reverse it or something.'

The idea had sounded promising until Blaine responded. 'I just remember my Mom being really angry. She did say a few choice words but they were directed towards my father, not me. I don't think we should base the answer on what my mother said in the heat of the argument.'

Kurt blinked down at him. 'But…won't remembering back to what your mother said before be more likely to break the-'

_'Kurt.'_ The way Blaine said his name made it sound like a resignation. 'I'm sorry, I just…I'm not even sure of what she said, and I really don't want to remember my mother that way. She was worth more than that.'

Kurt acknowledged Blaine's response with a silent nod while Brittany frowned. 'If it makes you feel any better, I can introduce you to some leprechauns,' she said. 'But you have to be careful not to wear anything gold-colored and sparkly because they can turn vicious.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' Blaine replied, giving Kurt a hint of a smile. Kurt sighed; he had wanted to help Blaine with restoring him to his previous size but with Blaine's new resistance he knew the search had proven futile. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice told him that the whole exercise had been to prove to Blaine that he was a useful friend, and he couldn't dismiss that it wasn't part of the reason for helping Blaine. At the same time, a part of him had wanted Blaine to stay as he was and not return to Dalton; he wanted to keep him as his confidant and dearest companion. But he couldn't force that will upon Blaine. As Blaine and Brittany launched into a serious discussion on creatures that would be considered to be mythological to anyone else, Kurt decided that, above all else, he wanted the other boy to be happy. And judging from Blaine's easy smile and enthusiastic conversation, Kurt knew that it was something that Blaine didn't need help with.


	14. Chapter XIII

To Kurt and any normal human being, Sebastian was just meowing conversation. But Blaine heard differently.

'What the hell is this?' Sebastian said, eyeing the plate of food that Kurt had placed in front of him.

'Light tuna chunks with fat-free dressing,' Kurt replied, throwing the empty can in the trash. Sebastian made a face and looked up to the counter where Blaine was sitting, leaning against a red apple and stirring his freshly-made mug of coffee.

'Even his food choices are prissy,' Sebastian remarked smugly. Blaine took a sip of his coffee in silence. He had decided before the new year that he would not get into any arguments with Sebastian over Kurt, and that it was best that Kurt did not know what the family cat was saying about him.

'Fine,' Kurt sighed, turning back to the cupboard and retrieving the regular packaged cat food. 'But don't blame me when you get fat.'

'Not with all the exercise I'm getting,' Sebastian replied with a wink at Blaine, who responded with an undignified roll of his eyes towards the ceiling.

'Looks like we'll have to go to the store and buy more of this,' Kurt said, opening the can and tipping the contents on to a new plate. 'Fussy animal.'

'Snarky bitch,' Sebastian muttered under his breath.

Kurt whipped around to look at Blaine.

'He said something bad about me, didn't he? What'd he say?'

Blaine hadn't expected to find himself in such a precarious situation, but then Sebastian had been awfully chatty recently and Kurt a touch paranoid. His mind began working overtime to come up with something that would avoid adding more to the rift between the two or hurt Kurt's feelings.

Blaine cleared his throat. 'He says you're wonderful and he can't wait to cuddle with you this evening.'

Kurt stared at him incredulously; behind him, Sebastian shot an ill-concealed glare in Blaine's direction.

'Somehow I doubt that,' Kurt muttered. He removed the light tuna and replaced it with the new plate, placing it with a somewhat sarcastic flourish in front of Sebastian. Kurt eyed the cat for a moment before walking away to fix his own afternoon snack.

'For once in my nine lives, I mean this figuratively, but…screw you both,' Sebastian mumbled between bites.

Blaine put down his coffee mug on the counter and huffed in annoyance. When it involved both Kurt and Sebastian, he couldn't say or do anything right.

…

'Classes are starting up again at McKinley next week.'

Blaine looked up from his copy of _The Great Gatsby_. Kurt was lying down on his bed with his eyes to the ceiling, thumbs fidgeting in his clasped hands.

'Oh,' Blaine said, by way of reply. He placed the book in his lap, knowing that this conversation would have to happen. 'Dalton starts again in two weeks, but a lot of the guys start returning to the dormitories to organize themselves about a week before.'

Kurt didn't say anything again for a while and Blaine returned to reading his novel.

'That's…that's interesting,' Kurt finally said, and Blaine put his book down again and closed it.

'Have you decided to go back?' he asked, folding his hands over the book in his lap.

'No!' Kurt said quickly, then flushed as he sat up, mirroring Blaine's posture. 'I mean, I do need to go back some day. I'm just…I don't feel that I'm ready to do so just yet.'

'That's understandable, Kurt,' Blaine replied, and in his mind it was. Kurt had suffered a lot from his tormentors and Blaine believed there was no point in returning to the school if he was going to be harassed again. He was a little nervous in his next response. 'Do you still want me to stay here?'

He noticed the brief change in Kurt's expression as a flicker of fear passed through his blue eyes before it disappeared again.

'I want you to stay,' Kurt said quietly. 'But I can't be selfish and force you to stay if you want to go back.'

Blaine really did want to stay. He enjoyed Kurt's company and he didn't mind being tutored by Mrs Frederick. At the same time, he didn't want to outstay his welcome, but it wasn't for him or Kurt to decide that. He had grown accustomed to being a part of Kurt's family as much as he felt a part of his Dalton family of other orphaned boys.

'Would you be disappointed if I left?' Blaine asked him.

Kurt's voice was small when he answered Blaine.

'Yes.' Judging by his downcast state, Blaine thought Kurt had been preparing himself to be the receiver of bad news for quite some time.

'Then I'll stay,' he said. Kurt raised his head quickly and gaped at Blaine in shock.

'Are…are you sure?' Kurt replied after a long pause, his voice quivering slightly. 'I mean, I don't want to hold you back…'

'Positive. Besides, I like it here.' Blaine stood up. 'But I think we should let the owners of the house know I'll be staying on a little longer.'

Kurt held out his palm to him. 'I think my Dad's downstairs in the kitchen,' he said, standing up when Blaine was comfortably seated. He moved gracefully out of the bedroom and walked slowly down the stairs, sneaking glances at Blaine while biting his lip, as if concerned that Blaine would change his mind at any second. Blaine patted Kurt's palm in what he hoped Kurt could sense was a soothing gesture. Kurt's fingers curled up slightly, keeping Blaine close and that was all the acknowledgement Blaine needed.

Kurt hesitated on the last stair that lead into the kitchen area. 'I'm glad you're staying.'

'Me too,' Blaine replied, as the kitchen came into view. Burt was sitting at the table, examining a written document closely. He glanced up when the boys entered.

'Well, the bills are starting to come in,' Burt said, flicking the paper in front of him. 'I think we should get Finn in here and have a chat about our hot water consumption.'

'Dad, uh, before that,' Kurt said, sitting down and resting his palm on the table so that Blaine could slide off. 'Since I'm not going to be returning to McKinley for a little while longer, I was hoping that Blaine could stay with us, at least until then.' Blaine knew that "then" could be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, and he hoped that Burt wouldn't mind him extending his stay for that indefinite period.

Burt replied without a moment's hesitation.

'Of course.' Blaine felt the older man's eyes on him. 'But I don't blame you if you've gotten sick of this one already.' He gestured towards Kurt, who pushed at his father's arm in annoyance and caused Burt to bark out a short laugh.

'No, I haven't,' Blaine said, smiling. 'I just hope I'm not imposing on the family.'

'Blaine.' Burt's voice had transitioned to a more serious tone. He placed both elbows on the table and observed Blaine with a pointed look. 'You're one of the family now, kiddo. No matter where you end up staying, whether you like it or not, you've got a family here, too.'

Blaine was so taken aback by Burt's reply that he found it difficult to locate his voice. 'Thank-you,' he croaked, reaching out beside him for support. He felt his hand brush against Kurt's little finger and he placed the palm of his hand against it, resting it there. He felt Kurt stiffen slightly under the touch but he did not say a word.

'Don't mention it.' Burt dropped the bill on to the table. 'Besides, I don't think Kurt here would've let you go.'

Blaine took a moment to glance up at Kurt's face. He looked mortified.

'I mean, no, I wouldn't have,' Kurt began, cheeks reddening as he refused to look at his father or down at Blaine. 'But-'

'Don't look so embarrassed, kid,' Burt answered. He picked up a cookie from the plate in the center of the table. 'He's pretty special to us, too, so you've got no worries there.'

Kurt stood up from his seat so quickly that it nearly toppled over.

'I…uh…have to use the bathroom,' he replied before darting out of the kitchen. Burt shook his head while Blaine stared after Kurt, a little bewildered.

'That kid,' Burt muttered, taking a bite of the cookie.

Blaine continued gazing at the doorway where Kurt had left. 'So…Kurt think's I'm special?'

Burt considered him for a moment while chewing. 'Yep. That and a few other things. But you didn't hear it from me.' He finished off the cookie before reaching for another, snapping a small piece off the end. 'Here, have some. They're just plain oatmeal but if you close your eyes, they could pass as choc-chip.'

Blaine laughed as he received the piece from Burt's fingers. 'Thanks.'

He did feel kind of special.


	15. Chapter XIV

Blaine avoided the cold wherever he could. Unless he was covered in a warm woolen scarf, a thick coat and wore a pair of mitts, he wouldn't dare venture outside, least of all when the sun was hidden. This week, however, the cold came to him.

It began when Finn sneezed after arriving home from football practice. It was unfortunate that Blaine found himself in his line of fire.

'Oh gross, sorry,' Finn said sincerely as Blaine sat in shock, staring down at his now-damp sweater. 'Here, let me clean you off.'

He grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and proceeded to wipe Blaine's face and clothing to gather up the moisture from his saliva, poking out his tongue in concentration as he did so.

'No need, really….Finn, it – _it tickles!_' Blaine laughed, as Finn wiped the tissue over his sensitive stomach.

'Sorry,' Finn replied, scrunching up the tissue in his hand as he made a face to show how disgusted he was by not being able to control his sneeze.

Blaine shook his head. 'It happens. I'll just go hop in the shower and it'll clean itself off.'

He made a detour to Kurt's room to retrieve some dry clothing before walking over to the bathroom. Blaine was looking forward to a long, hot shower but before a minute had passed under the showerhead, the warm water suddenly turned cold. Blaine shivered and closed his eyes, enduring another thirty seconds of it so that he could rinse the shampoo from his hair. He didn't want to lay blame on anyone for the lack of hot water, but yesterday he had overheard Carole and Burt scolding Finn and his habit of singing ballads in the shower and Kurt, who often showered twice a day.

As he walked down the hallway to Kurt's room, he felt a cold breeze run through him. Looking up, the window above him had been left slightly ajar.

_Sebastian,_ Blaine thought crossly as he rushed past the window, the cold making his wet hair feel like it could turn to ice. He was expecting a video call from the Warblers soon so he didn't have time to visit the living room to dry his hair. The central heating unit was particularly good for this purpose; a few blasts of hot air from the vent and his hair was dried instantly. He always brought his gel with him to smooth down his curls afterwards because, _heaven forbid_ that his ungelled hair would be seen in the light of day. Blaine had to be careful, though. He had been blown away by the force of the heating vent on more than one occasion, and while being thrown into the air was fun, the landing often wasn't.

…

'…if we go with that order. It will convince the judges this time.'

'_Are you suggesting that the song is strong enough for the finale?'_

'I think so. It will keep our energy up so that you guys can end on a high.'

Kurt caught snippets of conversation as he walked into his room. Blaine was seated in front of the iPhone on his bedside table, in video call to someone on the other end. He was wearing a blue beanie over his head which hid every single strand of his hair. Kurt didn't comment as he passed by Blaine and whoever was on the other end of the phone to pick up his sweater off his bed.

'Hey, Kurt,' Blaine greeted him. 'I'm on Facetime.'

'I can see that,' Kurt replied, while placing the sweater over his head. 'Who are you talking to?'

His question was answered as he caught a glimpse of the screen. There was not just one, but as many as fifteen Warblers seated on couches and from a distance, three other Warblers seated behind a raised platform, all looking through the phone.

'It's our Warblers' Council meeting,' Blaine told him, shifting to the side so that Kurt could be more visible.

'Oh…uh…' Kurt hadn't expected to find Blaine speaking to a whole room of boys. 'Hi.'

There were scattered but friendly greetings in reply and some curious glances.

'Since I'm holding the floor - permission for Kurt Hummel to attend this meeting as an observer?' Blaine said.

Kurt could see the boys behind the raised platform murmuring to one another.

'_Permission granted,' _said the boy in the middle. _'On the condition that he does not disclose of any information shared or discussed in this meeting to any third party, whether they be family or fellow show choir member.'_

'Promise,' Kurt said, sitting down on the edge of his bed.

'He's good with his word,' Blaine said, then sneezed suddenly. Kurt whispered a _bless you_, and he noted most of the boys on the other side of the screen had done the same.

'_Very well,'_ continued the boy in the middle. _'We will have to take note of that in our minutes. Thad, write that down.'_

The boy to his left, who Kurt now knew as Thad, scribbled down something on the paper in front of him. Kurt listened in wonder at how Blaine commanded the boys' attention when speaking and the civilized manner in which the three Council members conducted the meeting's agenda, whether by debating the song order for Regionals, potential dance moves or warning about curfew in the dormitories.

_Such perfect gentlemen,_ Kurt thought, smiling a little to himself.

…

Kurt was usually the first person to wake up between himself and Blaine, so he was surprised when, on Saturday morning, he awoke to find Blaine sitting in the middle of his bedside table, the comforter from his bed wrapped tight around him.

'Blaine?' Kurt asked, sitting up and stretching. 'You're up early.'

'Couldn't sleep,' Blaine mumbled, wrapping the comforter tighter around him and sniffing.

'How long have you been sitting there?'

'Don't…know,' Blaine replied, shaking his head. His words were slurred slightly and Kurt realized immediately that something wasn't right. He slipped out of bed and crouched down by the bedside table. Blaine's eyes were red and his forehead was covered in sweat.

'Hey…' Kurt said gently, eying the other boy in concern. 'You don't look so good.'

'C-cold,' Blaine stammered, and hugged the comforter closer around him. Kurt didn't hesitate to place a finger to Blaine's forehead to feel his temperature.

'You're burning up,' Kurt gasped, trying to reach for the comforter.

'N-no…' Blaine protested weakly, his hidden limbs trembling underneath. 'Too _cold._'

'We have to get this off, Blaine,' Kurt replied, tugging the comforter away from Blaine, who whimpered and wrapped his hands around his torso. 'C'mon, I'll take you downstairs.'

Kurt scooped up the shaking boy in his hand and hastened out of his room to the kitchen. By that time, Blaine's eyes had glazed over and Kurt was starting to feel panicked.

'Hold on, Blaine…_Finn!_' he called, knowing his stepbrother was awake and watching Saturday morning cartoons. _'FINN!'_

'I was in the living room, what's the rush?' Finn said, appearing at the doorway with a spoon and a bowl of cereal in his hands.

'Blaine, he's…'

'Oh, dude,' Finn remarked, putting down his bowl and spoon and approaching Kurt. Blaine was groaning and tossing deliriously from side to side. 'What happened?'

'I don't know, he's not feeling well and…'

'Can we give him something?'

'It might be too strong for him.'

'He needs something strong,' Finn replied. 'That looks like a hell of…whatever it is.'

'Maybe you should watch where you sneeze next time!'

'_Hey!' _Finn growled, pointing his finger at Kurt. 'That was an accident! At least I don't use up all the hot water in the house!'

'Look who's talking!' Kurt shot back, just as Blaine groaned again and curled up into a tight ball in his palm. Kurt gazed down at him worryingly.

Finn opened his mouth to retort but he was stopped by the sound of the doorbell. In a few seconds, he returned with Mrs Frederick in tow, who happened to stop by with some size-friendly toiletries for Blaine. Normally Kurt would baulk at being with company clad only in his pajamas and his hair unstyled, but Finn was too and so was Blaine, whose unknown illness was more pressing. She hurried over to Kurt's side and placed a finger on Blaine's forehead.

'It's a fever, all right,' she replied. 'He can handle a quarter of an Advil dissolved in warm water. Finn, if you would be so kind as to go upstairs and place his bed somewhere close by, or perhaps bring it down to the living room. And as for you,' she continued, looking down at Blaine. 'It'll be bed rest from now on. No resting under the covers until that temperature goes away.' Blaine whined and turned around, burying half of his face in Kurt's palm.

Carole returned from her grocery shopping not long after, and she, Mrs Frederick and Kurt stood around the coffee table in the living room where Blaine was supported upright on his bed by three pillows while a thermometer had been placed in his mouth.

Mrs Frederick removed it promptly and squinted at it, but it was so tiny that the numbers were hard to see. Carole glanced over Mrs Frederick's shoulder.

'Seems like the fever is gone,' she said, after which Blaine grinned and pulled the covers of the bed up to his chest. Kurt thought he did look a lot better than an hour ago.

'He still has an awful cold,' Mrs Frederick replied. 'I'll send our doctor over tomorrow, if you don't mind.'

'Of course,' Carole replied. 'We don't want him to get worse.'

'I'm feeling much better,' Blaine piped up from the bed. 'I could get up and sing and dance if I wanted to.'

'That's the Advil talking,' Mrs Frederick replied and Kurt sniggered, stopping abruptly when Blaine shot him a reproachful look. 'If the doctor is as smart as I know he is, he'll be prescribing bed rest for the rest of the week. Which means no lessons or homework for you.'

Blaine looked disappointed, and Kurt was going to ask if she would still be coming over the following week, but she answered before he had a chance to ask. 'That doesn't apply to you, Kurt.'

'That's fine,' Kurt replied, but he scowled a little when Carole and Mrs Frederick weren't looking.

Just as Mrs Frederick had predicted, the doctor advised bed-rest to aid Blaine's recovery, so Blaine was confined to his bed for the whole week. Kurt thought Blaine shouldn't have much to complain about; the other members of the family were keeping him well-entertained. His father recounted stories to Blaine as he sat on the sofa in the living room, listening with a delighted smile as he sneezed from time to time (Kurt was suspicious that a lot of the stories were about _him_ whenever he was out of the room). Carole played card games with him. Finn discussed moves that his opponents had made in his football games that had him completely blindsided. And Kurt did the rest: reading Blaine stories, watching a couple of their favorite childhood movies in silence and keeping him company when the others could not.

Mrs Frederick had a very close eye on him, too; Blaine would be in her sight at all times in his bed in the living room while she tutored Kurt at the table in the kitchen. At night, Kurt would bring Blaine and his bed upstairs where it would rest on the bedside table, in case Blaine needed Kurt during the night. He had his tissues and a glass of water with him, but Kurt had insisted he stay nearby, even for his own selfish reason that he wanted to keep the other boy just a _little_ closer.

…

Kurt sighed as he spotted a tiny figure tiptoeing across his carpeted floor. He slipped off his bed where he had been reading for the past fifteen minutes and stood in the path of the smaller boy and blocking his way. Blaine froze, eyes drifting from the sock-covered feet in front of him all the way up to Kurt's face.

'Yeah…' Blaine began, looking up sheepishly at Kurt. 'I was just going for…'

'_No,_ Blaine,' Kurt replied. Blaine let out a noise of frustration but didn't put up a fight as Kurt picked him up by the fabric of his pajamas and returned him to his bed.

Blaine crossed his arms after he had shuffled up against the pillows. 'But I was just going to stretch my legs,' he whined.

'You need bed rest. I'm just following the doctor's orders,' Kurt replied, sitting down on his own bed.

'What if I have to go to the bathroom?'

'Then I'll take you there.'

'It's only a three and a half minute walk!'

'Not in your condition,' Kurt answered. He felt like he was dealing with a small petulant child instead of a whiny little Blaine. Kurt wondered what he had put his own father through when he had been sick and he was realized he was probably just as whiny, if not worse.

'Okay then,' Blaine said, and Kurt relaxed a little. 'Are you reading the book we're studying next month?'

'Do you want me to read it aloud?'

'Yes, please,' Blaine replied, lying down and burrowing himself a little under the covers. Kurt smiled at his manners and began to read. He became so lost in the novel that after a good half-hour, he turned to Blaine to find the other boy fast asleep.

Kurt closed the book softly as not to wake him and moved closer to the bedside table. Blaine's breath was wheezy and his eyes a little puffy, but it seemed as if not even the loudest noise could wake him. Kurt gingerly placed his little finger by Blaine's cheek, feeling the warmth and softness there. He was surprised when Blaine nuzzled against it unconsciously and Kurt removed his finger as if he had been burned. He watched Blaine frown at the loss of warmth by his cheek and turned around, facing away from Kurt in indignation. Kurt thought it would be best to just let him sleep, though his fingers were aching to touch the other boy's cheek again.


	16. Chapter XV

It took two whole weeks for Blaine to recover fully from his cold, and he was ecstatic at finally being able to attend his tutoring lessons again, even though he had unwittingly forced Kurt to read to him the current novel they were studying for Literature on a nightly basis. He listened attentively to Trent on Facetime as he recounted the previous weekend's shenanigans.

'…and Nick and Jeff snuck in a bottle of tequila that they had purchased from this middle-aged guy that just moved in down our street and Nick had it straight up,' Trent said, gesturing excitedly from his dorm room. 'But then he felt ill and started throwing up, so Jeff had to take him to the nurse and all hell broke loose. They couldn't even confiscate the bottle because it was empty. He and Jeff have detention for two weeks straight. Nick swore he's never drinking again.'

Blaine chuckled and shook his head. 'Whatever happened to drinking in moderation?'

'I don't know, it seems to be lost on these two,' Trent replied. 'We all know how _you_ are with alcohol. Remember last year's Christmas party?'

Blaine couldn't forget, especially as the Warblers liked to remind him whenever the topic of alcohol was discussed. The faculty had invited along former staff members of Dalton for a sit-down dinner, served by a handful of pupils. Champagne was offered, and while it was kept under lock and key and served only by the adult waiting staff, it still managed to find its way up to the dormitories, where the Dalton orphans were having a Christmas party of their own. It only took one tiny drop (by the other boys' standards) of the strong liquid for Blaine to wake up the next morning with no recollection of the previous night.

'That was a fun night,' Trent continued, his eyes shining in amusement. 'I especially like the part when you hopped up on the stereo system…'

'_Trenttttttt…'_ Blaine groaned, placing his hands over his ears.

'…and you started dancing around and taking your blazer off very, _very_ slowly…'

'No, _stoppppp..._'

'…and I mean, if the gentleman's club around the corner was seeking to hire a person of small stature, we'd know who to recommend…'

'And that's why I'm never touching alcohol again,' Blaine finished for him, frowning miserably. 'And at least I was entertaining!'

'We had no doubt about that,' Trent replied, taking delight in Blaine's obvious discomfort.

A flashing icon appearing on the screen indicated to Blaine that he needed to cut the conversation short. 'Trent, I've got another call coming through. Speak to you later?'

'Sure,' Trent replied. 'Speak to you then, tiny dancer.'

'Bye,' Blaine said, ending the video call and letting out an exasperated sigh before answering the phone call. 'Hello?'

'_Hi Blaine! Finn gave me your number. Is he around?'_

'No, I believe he's at a friend's house,' Blaine replied, remembering that Finn had mentioned something about going over to Puck's. 'How are you, Rachel?'

'_Oh, you know. Finn and I seem to be talking at least, but I'm fine.' _Her voice filled the quiet bedroom and even though he couldn't see her, he felt that she was in the room with him because the phone's speakers were loud and clear to his ears. _'I was meaning to talk to you alone actually, so this is perfect. I promise that I haven't told anyone else about your…little secret.'_

Blaine wasn't so sure if Rachel was telling the truth. Kurt had informed him that Rachel was the type to go around and spread gossip to everybody, but assured him that even if Rachel did tell others at McKinley about his existence, there was a good chance that they wouldn't believe her.

'Thank-you. I really appreciate it, Rachel,' he said, trying to sound sincere.

'_I'm not the type to go around and spread gossip to everybody,'_ Rachel continued matter-of-factually. _'And that's not the reason why I'm calling.'_

'Okay,' Blaine replied. He shifted closer to the phone, suddenly curious.

'_I, um…I wanted to ask you something…'_

…

Kurt returned from the kitchen with two plates of homemade cheesecake (generous portions on one average-sized plate, one little) to find Blaine bouncing up and down on the comforter of his bed.

'Someone's in a happy mood,' Kurt remarked, placing the plates down on his desk.

'I sure am,' Blaine replied, bouncing over to Kurt as he sat down on the edge of his bed. He steadied himself on the soft surface and smiled up at him. 'Guess what day it is on Monday?'

Kurt didn't want to be reminded. It was his most detested date of the yearly calendar and he had only remembered because of the ads that were playing on TV with cuddling couples and the sickly-sweet heart decorations that he'd seen recently at the mall.

'Valentine's Day,' he answered, with little enthusiasm.

Blaine nodded, his eyes sparkling in delight. 'I have something special planned.'

'Really?' Kurt replied, a little more enthusiastic this time. He didn't want to admit it, but the day unexpectedly became somewhat appealing.

'Rachel just called and asked me out on a date. She's going to pick me up next Monday at 8 p.m. And on Valentine's Day, of all days!' Blaine said, bouncing again on the the spot. He steadied himself on the comforter, sitting down and placing his hands on both cheeks with a sigh. 'The most romantic day of the whole year.'

Kurt was stunned into silence. Thoughts of _Rachel_ and _date_ and _why_ began swirling though his mind as he tried to come up with a response.

'But you're gay, Blaine,' he finally replied, staring down at Blaine with a frown on his face.

'Doesn't matter,' Blaine said, lying down on the bed with a sigh. 'It'll be my first ever date. And it can still be romantic.'

Looking down at Blaine's dreamy expression, Kurt couldn't find himself to burst his little bubble by showing his disapproval. Why did it matter to him, anyway? It wasn't as if he liked Valentine's Day or had asked Blaine out on a date himself. Why would he even ask Blaine out on a date? He couldn't sneak him out to a restaurant and chat to Blaine as the smaller boy ate his meal while hiding under a china cup. It would seem ludicrous.

But inside, all Kurt felt was disappointment.

The feeling persisted as he watched Blaine pick out his wardrobe on Saturday while listening to the details of his upcoming date.

'Rachel said we're going to a screening of _An Officer and a Gentleman_, and she's going to dress up as one of the characters so I thought I should do the same. I've got a Halloween costume from two years ago which isn't the same as the Richard Gere's in the movie but it will have to do. Would you like to see it?'

'Sure,' Kurt replied, rubbing his nose with a tissue.

'I hope I haven't given you a cold,' Blaine called over his shoulder as he disappeared back into the dollhouse.

'No, I think this will clear up in a few days,' Kurt said, his throat feeling a little stuffy. He picked up another tissue from the box by his desk as he waited for Blaine to get changed.

'Okay, I'm ready!' Blaine called, stepping onto the terrace and walking over to the railing. Blaine was clad head to toe in a white uniform, with blue stripes on its sleeves and a large blue bow on the front collar. He wore a matching white cap with an embroidered anchor in its center.

'Sailor's uniform,' Kurt said, his lips parting slightly.

'I know, I kind of needed an officer's outfit,' Blaine replied, giving Kurt a quick twirl. 'But it's either that or my other Halloween costume, and I don't think there are any green aliens with felt antennae in the movie.' He placed his hands on his hips. 'Do you think Rachel would like it?'

Kurt paused. 'If she doesn't, then I'm never speaking to her again,' he said, a little too breathlessly. Blaine looked _adorable._

The smaller boy laughed. 'You're right, I think she will like it. And I'm sure she will appreciate the rose I'm planning to give to her. You know how hard it is to grow things in miniature?'

'Excuse me,' Kurt said quickly, slipping off his bed and bringing a tissue up to his eyes.

He heard Blaine's worried voice call out behind him.

'Kurt, are you okay?'

'Yes! Yes, of course. My eyes have been stinging a little and now they're a little watery. You know what, I think I might be coming down with a cold after all.'

'Maybe if you wash them out with a pinch of salt, it might help,' Blaine called to him.

'I'll do that,' Kurt replied. 'Thanks.' He hurried out of his bedroom and hastened to the bathroom. After washing his eyes with cold water, he looked up to the mirror to find them tinged red and puffy.

_It must be a cold_, Kurt thought, staring wistfully at his reflection.

…

Eight o'clock on Monday night came too quickly for both Blaine and Kurt, the latter none too thrilled about being left alone with the family cat for company, but at least he had a marathon of reality TV for his viewing pleasure. Burt and Carole were going out for a late dinner, insisting that Kurt come along with them, but he politely refused. Finn was out with Puck, having a feast of takeaway and an X-Box tournament at his house (_It's Valentines' Day? Dude, I totally forgot. I swear we aren't doing anything romantic! _Finn had told him when he had learned about the significance of the day). And Blaine was going on his date with Rachel, though at that very moment he was pacing nervously by the front door as Kurt sat on the sofa in the living room, his eyes glued to the television screen.

'I hope the date goes well,' Blaine was saying, eyeing the small paper gift bag near him as he paced up and down. 'I spoke to Finn about it and he didn't mind. I mean, we're going out for a movie and I've prepared some topics about music to lead into conversation and…'

'You'll be fine, Blaine,' Kurt said half-heartedly from the sofa. He was watching one of the model contestants argue her case to stay on the show.

'Really?'

The uncertainty in Blaine's voice caught Kurt's attention. Blaine had stopped pacing. He was already pint-sized but the sailor's outfit and the apprehension in his wide eyes made him look like a small child.

Kurt sighed. 'Finn and Rachel aren't seeing each other right now. Rachel is very capable of conversation, as you know. And from what you've told me these past few days, your date should be wonderful.'

Kurt was rewarded with a smile that slowly spread across Blaine's face. 'Thanks, Kurt,' he replied, his cheerfulness immediately restored. Both boys looked over to the window as the glare from a car's headlights flashed into the living room.

'She's here,' Blaine said, taking a deep breath. 'Wish me luck.'

'Good luck,' Kurt said softly, turning back the television screen. Now the model and one of the judges were trading insults. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blaine take a few steps forward before disappearing from view, stepping through a crevice by the door to meet Rachel outside.

…

When Blaine slipped under the front door at a quarter to midnight, he immediately found himself walking into white fur. He coughed and stepped backwards just as the owner of the fur shifted, only to be fixed with a pair of bright green eyes.

'Well, _hello sailor_,' Sebastian purred, eyeing Blaine with amusement. 'Don't we look absolutely _delicious_ tonight.'

Blaine held up his finger in warning. 'I thought we agreed I wasn't for eating, Sebastian.'

Sebastian chuckled. 'Is that so? I may have to give myself a raincheck on that,' he replied smoothly, his tail swinging dangerously close.

_Cheeky cat_, Blaine thought to himself. His eyes caught the light of the television screen streaming from the living room.

'Is Kurt still up?' Blaine thought Kurt would have retired to bed by now.

'Hasn't moved an inch all night. He's been sitting there like a lump,' Sebastian replied. He wrinkled his nose at the solo figure slumped on the sofa. 'When he's in one of his moods, I find it best to keep my distance.' He began to trot away to the kitchen, calling out over his shoulder. 'Maybe you should do the same.'

Blaine decided not to heed Sebastian's advice and instead walked into the living room. He glanced up at the boy on the sofa. He was indeed awake, but his eyelids were drooping slightly.

'Hey, Kurt.'

Kurt blinked and looked down at the carpet.

'Hey,' he answered, smiling faintly. 'How was your date?'

'Honestly?' Blaine said, clasping his hands together. 'It was…_the_ _best!_ Rachel and I were the only ones to dress up in character but she told me she really liked my sailor outfit, despite it looking nothing like the uniforms in the movie. And I'd never seen the movie before, but I thought it was great – even if I did spend most of it watching it from her purse while she passed me the small pieces of her popcorn. And afterwards she took me to her favorite spot at the park where she used to go with Finn. We sang along to the movie soundtrack in her car as she drove me home. She just dropped me off at the front door a few minutes ago and thanked me for spending time with her.'

'Was it…romantic?'

'I don't know,' Blaine replied, thinking back over the night. 'She talked about Finn a lot. And I guess the fact that there were a lot of other couples in the movie theatre did make it feel that way.'

He saw the other boy nod before hearing him exhale quietly. 'Do you have feelings for her?'

Blaine shook his head. 'Rachel is lovely, but I don't like her in that way. I'm gay, remember?'

'Of-of course,' Kurt said, a little shakily. 'I suppose it must be nice to go out with someone and swap gifts and celebrate romance at least once in the year.'

Blaine frowned. 'But I thought you didn't care about Valentine's Day.'

'I don't,' Kurt replied, avoiding his gaze.

'_He needs to get some ass!'_ Sebastian called out from the kitchen. Blaine pointedly ignored him. He observed Kurt's bowed head quietly for a moment before deciding to climb up the sofa. He sat down on the armrest where Kurt's left hand lay.

'What's wrong, Kurt?' Blaine asked gently.

The other boy sniffed and raised his head slightly. He could see that his eyes were watery again. They didn't look like eyes that had been affected by a cold. They looked like tears.

'I just thought…' Kurt said, letting out a shaky laugh. 'I just thought that…that if you were ever going to go on a date, that the person you would go with…' He swallowed. 'Would be me.'

Blaine felt his breath catch. Why hadn't he recognized Kurt's misery before? He knew that Kurt had never been on a date. Maybe he should have asked Kurt out first. They had more in common with each other than Blaine had with Rachel. The thought just…never crossed his mind.

Kurt's voice pulled him out of his musings. 'God, I'm pathetic, aren't I?'

'No!' Blaine said, shuffling closer to Kurt. 'I don't think you're pathetic, Kurt. Not at all.'

Kurt still wasn't looking at him. Blaine's eyes fell on Kurt's fingers which were only millimeters from where he sat. Carefully, he reached out his hand to stroke the soft skin at the base of Kurt's thumb, hoping that the touch would be enough to gain Kurt's attention or at least glance his way.

It was. Kurt sniffed again and stared down at him as Blaine continued to gingerly rub his hand against his thumb, a small movement that may have only felt like a feather-like touch to Kurt, but all that mattered to Blaine was that he could feel it. The sad smile Blaine received in return confirmed that he had felt something.

'Oh.'

Blaine tore his gaze away from Kurt to look behind him. Sebastian was watching them from the doorway of the living room and Blaine braced himself for the insults that were sure to come. But Sebastian fixed Blaine with an uneasy gaze.

'He's really upset, isn't he?' Sebastian asked, glancing from Blaine to Kurt.

Blaine nodded, watching Sebastian curiously. Sebastian shook his head, dismissing Blaine's gesture. He began to paw at the carpet.

'No, not like that,' he continued, pawing at a particular loose thread. 'He was just moody before. Now it feels like he's in some sort of…pain.'

Blaine stared at the cat. Sebastian was acting strangely and he sensed that he was somewhat distressed with Kurt's behavior. Before a minute had passed, Sebastian had stopped and made a hesitant gesture to move from the doorway. He sighed out the word _dammit_ and quietly trotted over to the sofa, opposite to the side where Blaine was seated. He hopped up on to the armrest and approached Kurt slowly.

'_Sebastian,'_ Blaine whispered, careful not to attract Kurt's attention, who was staring down at the thumb that Blaine was stroking. _'What-'_

He stopped talking when Sebastian climbed over one of Kurt's thighs to settle in his lap. Kurt tensed up in surprise and peered down at his lap silently. He paused before placing his free hand over Sebastian's back and began to stroke his fur, sniffing every now and then. Blaine watched in amazement as Sebastian's eyes drifted closed and he yawned, giving himself over to the gentle ministrations of Kurt's hand.

After feeling Blaine's eyes on him for a minute, Sebastian's own quickly shot open.

'Shut up,' Sebastian said lazily, fixing Blaine with a glare that had no malice behind it.

'_I haven't said a word,'_ Blaine whispered back, watching with a little smile as the cat's eyes drifted shut again.


	17. Chapter XVI

**Author's note: **This chapter is kind of an AU take on the episode 'Sexy' and alludes to an activity of a sexual nature.

* * *

Kurt groaned soundlessly and turned around to the much cooler side of his pillow. He'd been having some trouble falling asleep over the past week and half, ever since Blaine's date with Rachel and his own confession about wishing to have been the one in Rachel's place. The thought of it filled him with embarrassment; he had shown his emotions in front of Blaine before, but he had never expressed his desires of such a private nature so openly with anyone else, not even with his dad. If Blaine had thought him weak for doing so, he hadn't shown it. In fact, Blaine hadn't made mention of anything that occurred on Valentine's Day at all.

The memory of Blaine in his little sailor's outfit brought a warm smile to Kurt's lips. He was so happy to be going on his first date that he was practically glowing with energy. Blaine was just too cute for words but Kurt knew he had to be careful not to slip again and let Blaine know this. What would Blaine think of him? He'd been caught too many times casting glances his way. But he couldn't help his gaze from lingering much longer than necessary on first seeing Blaine in that little white outfit and cap.

Kurt knew he had "a thing" for sailors (or at least what he'd seen of handsome young actors in naval costumes from movie musicals). Seeing Blaine in a pint-sized version of the same outfit made him feel certain things that were both pleasing and wonderful and confusing to him.

And as Kurt thought back to Blaine twirling around in his sailor outfit, those certain feelings began to manifest by seeping into the most delicate areas of his body, so that when he shifted against the mattress again, his hand accidently brushed past his pajama pants to a very sensitive place between his thighs.

Kurt gasped and dropped his offending hand back on to the mattress. His breathing had changed to accompany the sudden increase of his heartbeat, but that wasn't what had fluttered Kurt's thoughts. He had certainly sensed something quite different from anything that he had ever felt before and while it was a little disconcerting, it had also felt…nice. He had never purposely tried to touch himself down there and he wasn't really sure about it, but maybe if he moved his hand over it again…

Kurt let out a surprised whimper as a faint pulse of pleasure flowed from the base of his spine. It also made his skin slightly tingly. Tentatively repeating the action, he was more precise with his hand this time, and he was able to let a soft moan fall from his lips. Encouraged to continue, he bit his lip and let his eyes drift shut, moving his hand purposely to reach that same spot while being mindful to keep quiet. If another series of soft whimpers happened to escape from his mouth, then he didn't force himself to stop them; he knew Blaine would have been fast asleep by now.

'Kurt, is anything the matter?'

Kurt yelped and pulled his blankets up to his chin, his eyes searching around for the source of the voice. He spotted a darkened figure sitting on the edge of his bedside table, illuminated scarcely by the streetlamp outside. Blaine had his head cocked to one side and from what Kurt could faintly see, was looking him over with a worrisome expression.

'I…yes! I'm-I'm fine, Blaine,' Kurt stammered, clawing at his sheets so that they covered up more of his chin. He was grateful that Blaine couldn't see him blushing furiously in the dark. 'Just- you know, night terrors, I think.'

'That didn't sound like night terrors.'

'Yes, well, I-I couldn't really sleep…and I wasn't having a nightmare, so…'

'Oh,' the smaller boy said. Then Kurt watched as Blaine's eyes grew as wide as saucers. _'Oh…'_

'I…um…' Kurt began, but he stopped himself. There was nothing more he could say. It seemed to him that Blaine had already figured it out.

'Well, I'll just – uh, let you continue,' Blaine said, turning around a little awkwardly and climbing off the bedside table. Kurt heard the very light padding of small feet across the carpet as Blaine returned to his sleeping quarters. He squeezed his eyes shut and threw his sheets over his head.

Was there no limit to how many times he would embarrass himself in front of Blaine?

…

Blaine wondered how to best broach the subject with Kurt as he climbed up on to a kitchen chair, swung off the backrest and made a practiced landing on the table. There was a wooden chopping board set up with a hot piece of toast sitting on it. Blaine breathed in the scent and sighed; it smelt delicious.

Kurt had his back to him as he retrieved items from the kitchen counter, already dressed for the day in a black cardigan and thin sweater while Blaine was still in his striped pajamas. He turned around with a knife and a jar of peanut butter in his hand, but froze when he spotted the smaller boy leaning against an upside-down glass on the table.

'Morning, Kurt,' Blaine said pleasantly.

'Good morning,' Kurt replied, the knife and jar still in his hands. After a long pause, he placed them down on the chopping board and busied himself with opening the jar. Blaine had made a firm decision not to speak of the night of his date ever again, seeing how upset it had made Kurt afterwards. He was, however, determined to talk to him about what had occurred the previous evening.

'I wanted to apologize about last night.'

The knife that Kurt had picked up suddenly slipped from his hands.

'Oh, no, you don't have to...' Kurt began, picking up the knife quickly. 'You don't have to do that.'

'I insist. I mean, it's perfectly natural to let your hands wander when the need arises -'

'No, really, I-I don't do that at all - '

'- and it's fine, honestly. I get urges too. Take this morning, for instance.'

Kurt was staring at him now, or rather, gaping at him. His mouth was hanging slightly open as a pink blush spread across his cheeks. He tore his eyes away as he dipped his knife in the jar, hurriedly spreading a large amount of peanut butter on his toast.

'Right,' Kurt muttered quietly, spreading the peanut butter intently as he shifted uncomfortably behind the kitchen table.

'Well, if you want to talk to me about it-'

'I don't,' Kurt said quickly, cutting the toast in half before slicing one half into smaller portions. 'Not about…_that_ or urges or…sex.' He blushed again as he separated the portions on the board. 'I'm going up to my room.' Kurt picked up one of the slices and hurried past the table, his footsteps sprinting lightly up the stairs. Blaine could hear the bedroom door upstairs closing with a loud _snap._

Blaine stared ruefully at his pieces of peanut-buttered toast. It was his favorite breakfast meal, but not even the sight of it could stir up his diminished appetite.

…

'How's the progress on the station wagon, Andy?'

'All set. Should be ready by four o'clock.'

'Good job.' Burt scratched his head under his cap and wandered over to the Ford that had been waiting for him in the garage since that morning. Its bonnet was popped open and he knew it was going to be a routine maintenance check; oil, water, brakes, the usual. He reached over to the small table on wheels where he kept his tools, hoping to retrieve his oil-stained rag while he looked at the car's engine. Instead, his fingers grasped a hold of something soft that let out a tiny squeak.

Burt hit his head on the inner bonnet of the car in his haste to look up. He swore and looked to the side, dropping whatever it was that he had picked up in his hand. Blaine was picking himself up off the table and dusting himself off. The untouched rag lay a few inches away.

'Um…hi, Burt.'

'Christ, kid,' Burt said, looking around the garage before dropping down in front of the table. 'How did you get here?'

'I, uh…' the small boy said, looking down at his shoes. 'I hid in your truck after you came back for lunch this afternoon. I left a note under Kurt's door to say that I was going for a walk. I'm just a little worried about him, that's all.'

'Is he sick again?' Burt asked, picking up the rag and wiping his hands. Kurt had seemed to be down with a cold a couple of weeks ago, but it had only lasted a few days.

'No, it's not that,' Blaine said, taking a deep breath. Burt knew that when his son had something important to say, he would only be comfortable in saying it when Burt wasn't watching him intently. So he extended the same courtesy to Blaine while he checked the oil gauge of the car. 'I'm just wondering if you've had a chance to talk to Kurt about some…important stuff. Like, how to deal with urges. And…sex.'

Burt stopped himself from unscrewing the cap on the oil filter and stared down at his hand.

'Not yet.'

'Because I think it would be a good idea to talk to him about it,' Blaine continued, his voice a little louder. Burt knew the other mechanics wouldn't be able to hear their conversation, not with the clanging of their tools as they made repairs and the radio playing soft rock in the background. For once, he was kind of grateful for the noise.

'So you came all this way to tell me that?' Burt said, placing the rag over his shoulder as he dared flick his eyes over in Blaine's direction.

'Sort of.' Blaine sat down on the table and crossed his legs as he began to stare down at his lap. 'I really care about Kurt. I just don't want him to be at a party one day, and meets some guy wanting to do…things with him, and he might be ready, but he's not going to know about being safe and using protection. I mean, he won't be getting informed about any of this from Mrs Frederick, and I know that Dalton's curriculum doesn't even touch upon this stuff. Jeff and Nick were happy to help me look up things on the internet, and there is a lot of information out there, but it's not the same as learning about it and discussing it with someone you trust, like your own dad.'

Burt continued watching him as he leaned against the car.

'And, well…my father wasn't around to inform me about those things, not that he ever would have, but I think it's nice that Kurt has you to talk to him about it.'

'I assume something must have brought this on,' Burt said. 'But I'm not gonna ask you about it,' he replied quickly, as he saw an apprehensive look flash across Blaine's face. 'So you've talked to him?'

'I've tried,' Blaine said, and he sounded disappointed. 'But he was hesitant to discuss anything with me.' He chose that moment to look up at Burt, and Burt knew he couldn't say no to those pleading, puppy-like brown eyes.

'I'll think about it,' Burt answered with a sigh, waving his hand in agreement. 'Give me about fifteen minutes and I'll drive you home, otherwise Kurt will start recruiting a search party.'

'Thanks.'

Burt acknowledged Blaine's response with a nod before returning to look under the bonnet of the car. If his talk with Kurt was going to be as awkward as his conversation with Blaine, then he'd prefer to get it over with as soon as possible.


	18. Chapter XVII

'Eighteen?'

'No.'

'Twenty-four?'

'No.'

'One hundred and three?'

'Ha, I wish! But no,' Sebastian said, his eyes shining with amusement. 'Guess again.'

Blaine raised his own eyes to the ceiling in thought. He seriously did not want to guess the number of feline partners that Sebastian had gone through over the course of a year, but somehow Sebastian had roped him into it.

'Hmm…' Blaine replied, leaning against the railing of the terrace. 'I'm going to take a guess that it was…'

Kurt shuffled into the bedroom, holding some pamphlets in his hands. Sebastian looked at him quickly before returning his attention to Blaine.

'And that would be my cue to make myself scarce,' he said, standing up from his position on the carpet. 'Tell me your answer tomorrow, sugarpuss.'

Sebastian turned around and walked towards the doorway, brushing his tail against Kurt's leg as he passed him. When Kurt ignored him and continued to stare down at the pamphlets in his hands, Sebastian shot a confused look towards Blaine. Blaine shrugged, letting Sebastian know he had no idea why Kurt wasn't responsive. He watched Kurt place the pamphlets on his desk (too high for him to see what the cover of each pamphlet looked like where he was, unless he climbed over there) and settled down on his bed, crossing his arms over his chest.

It didn't take very long for Blaine to hop from the roof of the dollhouse to Kurt's bedside table, where he stood by the alarm clock and watched Kurt, who was staring up blankly at the ceiling.

'My dad just gave me some pamphlets,' Kurt said, already acknowledging Blaine's presence near him. 'It was…embarrassing.'

'Really?' Blaine said, wondering what the pamphlets contained in them that gave Kurt so much discomfort.

'It was a…a _sex_ talk, Blaine,' Kurt said, shutting his eyes as if wanting to clear away the memory. 'A sex talk.'

'Really?' Blaine said again, scratching his neck as his eyes flicked over to the desk. So they were _those_ types of pamphlets. 'I didn't think he would talk to you about it so quickly.'

'How do you mean?'

'I was certain he would wait a little bit, but he must have been eager to go through with it,' Blaine said, thinking back to his discussion with Burt that afternoon.

Kurt sat up on his bed and stared down at him. 'Wait…how did you know?'

'I..um…' Blaine said, and now he was feeling that same nervous tingle in his stomach that had appeared when he had spoken to Kurt's father earlier. 'I may have mentioned that you didn't want to talk to me about it, so I thought it would be best that he…talk to you about how everything, uh, works and…'

'Wait…what?'

'You know,' Blaine continued, hoping he didn't have to elaborate too much. 'Like…how things are slightly _different_ for guys that like other guys and-'

'Oh Blaine, _why?_' Kurt cried out, his voice raised louder than normal as he stood up from his bed and began to pace his room.

'You need to hear about it someday, Kurt,' Blaine said, following the other boy with his eyes as he tread the carpet. 'If you weren't going to look up the information yourself-'

'I wasn't ready!' Kurt said, stopping in his tracks and looking over at Blaine, his eyes flashing angrily. 'What…what gives you the right to tell my dad about that?'

'I know, I might have overstepped things a little-'

'That was _personal,_ Blaine,' Kurt said, placing his hands on his head, ignoring his rule of never touching his hair during the day. 'That was something you didn't need to talk to him about, and something you shouldn't have involved yourself with, and if only I hadn't…had kept my hands away from myself that evening, then maybe this wouldn't have happened!'

'I didn't tell him about _that,_' Blaine said, holding out his hands helplessly. 'Just that fact that you were very reluctant to understand that you have choices out there, Kurt, some with consequences that you hadn't been informed about and they may turn out to be the very ones you will most likely regret.'

'But…I'm not going out and hooking up and-'

'I know that. But one day you might decide-'

'Who says I ever will?' Kurt shot back, standing over the table where Blaine stood. 'It doesn't look very likely to happen, does it?'

'No, I mean, not now, but-'

'And I could read the pamphlets about relationships and getting intimate with someone, but there won't be anything in them that I can actually relate to.' His fists were balled up and while there was a conflicted expression in his eyes as he stared at Blaine, his voice was livid.

'But Kurt, if you would just-'

'_I DON'T' WANT TO KNOW!'_ Kurt shouted, glaring down at Blaine. The force of his shout was so strong that it knocked Blaine over, and he fell on to the table, missing the alarm clock behind him by millimeters. As he sat up and rubbed his head, he heard a distressed cry. He glanced up to find Kurt staring at him with wide eyes, his hands covering his mouth.

'B-Blaine,' Kurt stammered, crouching down by his bedside table. He removed his hands from his face and made a motion to touch Blaine, but he paused and his hand was left hovering in the air. His eyes were glistening with unshed tears. 'I…I…'

'It's…it's okay, Kurt,' Blaine replied, a little in shock himself at being bowled over so easily by Kurt's outburst. He stood up and approached Kurt's fingers, giving him permission to touch him. Blaine allowed himself to be picked up and placed in the palm of Kurt's hand as the other boy cradled him closer to his face and sat back on his bed.

'_I'm sorry,'_ Kurt whispered, the first of his tears rolling down his cheeks. 'I am so, so sorry…'

'It's okay,' Blaine repeated, but it was as if Kurt didn't hear him. He felt the soft pad of Kurt's finger stroke carefully through his hair as he heard Kurt whisper _I'm sorry_ over and over again. A tear dropped on Blaine's head but Kurt continued to pet his hair, sniffing and crying quietly. Blaine's shirt was now getting a little soaked from Kurt's salty tears that were falling from above and his hair style may have come undone by the way Kurt was running his warm finger through it, but Blaine didn't mind.

He really didn't mind at all.

…

Things had settled between them since that evening, and Blaine was glad that they were able to talk through their grievances and apologize fairly quickly. He found himself sitting on the sofa's armrest and watching TV with Kurt after dinner in the living room. Sebastian was curled up by himself on the armchair, one eye shut while the other was trained on the screen.

When Sebastian hopped down to get some water from the kitchen, Blaine turned to Kurt, who was sitting on the sofa beside him.

'Kurt, I was wondering…' he began, watching the television ads coming up on the screen. 'Uh…'

'_Football night!'_ Finn exclaimed as he walked into the living room with a bag of doritos. He plopped down on the sofa next to Kurt. 'My favorite night of the week.'

'Football night happens more than once a week,' Kurt replied sourly, loosening his grip on the remote as Finn gleefully pulled it away from him.

'Well, count me in,' Burt announced, walking up to the chair that Sebastian had been lazing on. He sat down just as Sebastian returned to the living room. He scowled at Burt before turning around and slinking back to the kitchen.

Blaine let out a frustrated sigh under his breath but he knew that he had plenty of other opportunities to talk to Kurt alone. He liked football, so he watched the game and cheered a little and listened to the shouts at the television screen made by Burt and Finn, and later Carole, who sat down with dinner after coming home from a late shift at work. Finn kept Blaine amused during the first few ad breaks as he measured dorito chips next to him to find the ones that were taller than him. Kurt remained silent, curled up slightly on the sofa as he watched the game with little interest. The game finished quite late; Blaine yawned widely and rubbed his eyes. He could see that Kurt looked sleepy too, but he didn't make a move to get up from the sofa when his family members did.

'_Finally,'_ Kurt sighed, snatching the remote out of Finn's hand.

'Don't stay up too late, kids,' Burt said as he rose from his chair. 'You want me to take you upstairs, buddy?'

Blaine realized that Burt was looking at him. 'No thank-you,' he replied, fighting back another yawn. 'I'll come up with Kurt.'

Sebastian must have dozed off in the kitchen, because now Blaine found himself alone with Kurt. He had flicked to a music video channel and even though his eyes were focused in the direction of the television, they didn't seem to be concentrating on the screen.

'Um, Kurt?' he said, looking down at his hands that were tightly clasped together in his lap. 'I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me sometime.'

'We eat together every night, Blaine,' Kurt replied, somewhat distractedly but not unkindly.

'More like a…special dinner?'

He saw Kurt stiffen slightly but it got his attention; Kurt shifted, hugging his arms around his knees as he looked down at Blaine curiously.

'As in…just the two of us?' Blaine continued, glancing up at Kurt quickly.

He heard the other boy's breath hitch and saw his arms slip away from his knees.

'Are…are you asking me out on a date?' Kurt said, his eyes widening.

'Well…yes! I suppose I am - kind of,' Blaine said, rubbing his hand behind his neck. 'I mean, we're friends, right? So I suppose it won't be like an actual date. But maybe it will be. But we won't be eating out, so I guess not.' Blaine sighed; he knew he was rambling, but he couldn't understand why he had suddenly felt so nervous.

'Of-of course,' Kurt replied. He looked slightly confused.

Blaine gave him a tight smile. 'Kurt?' he said, swallowing as he looked up into Kurt's eyes. 'Would you like to be my date for dinner this Saturday?'

Kurt's lips parted; Blaine thought he was about to respond, but instead he gave Blaine a warm, hopeful smile. It turned Blaine's nervousness into another pleasant feeling, one he couldn't quite explain.

'I'd love to.'


	19. Chapter XVIII

Chapter XVIII

Blaine rarely took naps, but recently he'd found himself taking more and more. The reason was partly that he and Kurt had been staying up later than usual, talking well after midnight about stories from their childhoods, about Dalton, about their hopes and future dreams. It was difficult not to fall asleep on Kurt's soft comforter as he listened to the other boy talk while he was lying beside him. Once or twice he did fall asleep, only to wake up the next morning safe in his own bed with only an inkling of how he had gotten there.

The family was becoming accustomed to seeing a tiny boy with his eyes closed and snoring softly while snuggled up on furniture around the house. Blaine would take naps on the sofa's armrest, on the coffee table, across the windowsill with the late afternoon sunlight streaming through and even against the paper towel roll in the kitchen. On this particular Wednesday, however, he was curled up on Kurt's comforter again, sighing contently as every shift of his limbs made him sink ever so slightly into the mattress.

He didn't move an inch when he registered a heavy weight climb up on to the comforter and sink the mattress even more, but he did stir when he felt something soft and a little slimy lick against his cheek.

'W-wha-?' he mumbled groggily, blinking his eyes open, only to be confronted by the sight of a very pink and very enthusiastic tongue, licking away happily against one side of his face. _'Sebastian!'_

The cat cackled gleefully and hopped down from the bed, just as Blaine sat up and proceeded to hastily wipe the saliva off his face with his sleeve. 'Ewww…'

'_You know you love it!'_ Sebastian called back over his shoulder as he stalked out of the room.

'I did not,' Blaine huffed to himself in the empty bedroom. He looked over to the alarm clock and realized with a start that it was well past four o'clock. His date with Kurt was on Saturday and while he had the whole evening planned out in his head, he still hadn't organized anything yet. He scrambled to his feet and made his way across the large expanse of Kurt's bed to his iPhone.

He had some very important calls to make.

…

Kurt paced the carpet of his bedroom, wringing his hands slightly and trying to avoid running them through his neatly-coiffed hair. It had taken the hours that Blaine had been downstairs for Kurt to shower, go through at least seven outfit changes and prep and style his hair. Finn was having a boy's night at Pucks and his father and Carole were out to see a show, so it was just him, Blaine and whoever else seemed to be keeping Blaine company in the kitchen that Saturday night.

Kurt knew it was just going to be just dinner with Blaine, but the fact that it was a _date_ made him considerably nervous, despite the company. He had finally decided on a simple grey blazer with dark fitted trousers, a white shirt with silver cufflinks and a steel-blue scarf tied around his neck. On his feet were his polished black-leather boots and while they made a heavy thumping sound as he treaded the carpet, he could barely hear them over the hammering of his overexcited heart.

Every now and again, he looked over to the carpet by the doorway, hoping to see a sign of the smaller boy. Kurt had promised to abide by Blaine's wishes and stay upstairs until Blaine came to collect him, but with every passing minute, he was growing anxious. A light tapping at his door made him stop in his tracks. He blinked and looked down, not seeing anyone at first but then his eyes noticed a small figure standing on the threshold.

Blaine's hair contained more gel than usual, but it made him look not unlike a leading man from a fifties Hollywood movie. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie. He had a red rose petal in his suit pocket and was sporting black shiny leather dress shoes. Right away, Kurt believed he had found an outfit on Blaine that had surpassed even his sailor costume.

'Good evening, Kurt,' Blaine said, his eyes twinkling. 'I must say that you look handsome tonight.'

If there was ever an opportune time to blush, Kurt decided that this would be it. He was proud that his voice didn't waver when he answered him: 'Thank-you. I could say the same for you, you know.'

'Thanks,' Blaine replied, looking away for a moment. Kurt knelt down beside him. A light flush had colored Blaine's small cheeks. Kurt was going to comment on Blaine's tiny but obvious blush, but a rattle of utensils and an _ow!_ sounding from downstairs made him pause.

'Should I be worried?' Kurt asked as a further clattering of pots and pans reached his ears. The pleasant scent of a warm dinner had wafted up to his room.

'No, they're just finishing up,' Blaine replied with a glance behind him.

'And Sebastian?'

'We managed to persuade him to spend the night in the laundry,' Blaine said. 'We gave him plenty of food and water and…I promised he could lick my face in exchange for the inconvenience.' He shuddered. 'But we can be sure that we won't be disturbed during our meal.'

The noises from downstairs had ceased. Blaine held out his hand and glanced up at Kurt with bright amber eyes.

'Shall we?' he asked. Kurt nodded, but he wondered how he could take Blaine's hand when it was smaller than the size of his finger. Blaine must have though the same thing, because he dropped his arms and made grabby-hands towards Kurt.

Kurt laughed and quickly scooped him up in his hand, smiling widely when Blaine let out an embarrassed chuckle from his palm. They made their way downstairs, the smell of food now even stronger and making their mouths water. When they entered the kitchen, Kurt couldn't help but let out a small gasp.

The kitchen was bathed in candlelight. There was a tall, thin candle in the center of the table while thicker candles had been placed on the kitchen counter, on the stove and by the windowsill. Three boys in Dalton uniforms stood waiting by the sink.

'Kurt, I don't think I've properly introduced you to these guys,' Blaine said. 'This is Wes, our distinguished chef for this evening.' Wes nodded to him and Kurt tried not to laugh at the formal tone of Blaine's voice. 'And this is Jeff and Nick, our…um…waiters and dishwashers for tonight.'

'And sous-chefs,' Jeff said, stepping away from the sink.

Wes snorted. 'Those positions vanished along with your first batch of burnt gravy.'

'Doesn't mean we can't cook,' Nick said, moving over to the kitchen counter.

'This is amazing,' Kurt said, sitting down at the table where Jeff had pulled out a chair for him. Blaine hopped off his hand and walked over to a makeshift table he used for meals, sitting down on a thimble which doubled as his chair. Nick placed a plate in front of both of them, the contents of it steaming hot.

'The first and, unfortunately, only course,' Wes announced. 'Lamb with potato and gravy and a side of roasted vegetables.'

'It looks delicious!' Kurt said, eyeing his plate appreciatively.

'Dessert's in the fridge,' Wes continued, as he and the other two boys began to leave the kitchen. 'Have a good evening, gentlemen.'

'Thanks, guys,' Blaine said to them.

'Anything to set the mood for you, Blaine,' Jeff said. He turned to Kurt. 'He's a sucker for romance.'

'Okay, thanks guys-'

'He goes on and on about it, and we're all very happy that he _finally_ gets to experience some for himself.'

'Guys-'

'We're all waiting for a full report from him afterwards,' Nick added. 'We want to know _all _the details-'

'_We're leaving!'_ Wes said impatiently, pushing the other two boys out the door.

Kurt again found himself alone with a blushing Blaine, and he looked around the room to avoid causing him further embarrassment. He was fascinated by how the kitchen had been transformed.

'I hope it's not too over the top,' Blaine remarked. 'I think Nick and Jeff may have got carried away with all the candles.'

'No, it's fine,' Kurt said. 'It's quite nice.' It did make everything feel more romantic, but he didn't want to bring the subject of romance up again in front of Blaine.

As he began to pick up his cutlery, he was immediately drawn to a single flower that had been placed in a glass vase on the table. It was a yellow rose, but under the faint light that the candles provided, he could see that the tips of the flower were coated in red.

'They grow those at Dalton,' Blaine said, following Kurt's line of sight. 'They aren't in bloom at the moment so I asked the guys to bring one back from the florist for you.'

'Thanks, that's very sweet,' Kurt said, touching the red-stained petals gently.

'You're welcome.' Blaine lifted up his knife and fork and grinned. 'I guess we can eat; I'm starving!'

Kurt's initial nervousness ebbed away rather quickly as he and Blaine fell into comfortable conversation while they ate. After Kurt had cleared away their plates, he stepped over to the fridge.

'So, what did Wes prepare for our next meal?' Kurt asked him, placing his hand on the fridge door.

'You mean our next course?' Blaine asked, laughing.

'Desserts are something I would classify as a meal,' Kurt said, opening the fridge and peeking inside. 'As they can be consumed day or night.'

'Of course,' Blaine said, and Kurt knew he was being humored. 'I told Wes he's got nothing on your soufflés, so not to bother attempting it. I told him what your favorite was, so he made…'

'_Chocolate cheesecake,' _Kurt whispered, taking the cake out of the fridge and holding it up reverently as Blaine laughed again. He looked over at the smaller boy. 'You know me so well.'

After dessert had been consumed with much praise for Wes's superior cooking skills, Kurt blew out the candles and put them away before taking Blaine and the vase with the rose upstairs to his room.

'I have a gift for you,' Blaine said as Kurt placed him down gently at the front door of the dollhouse.

'Another gift?' Kurt said, surprised. 'You mean the rose and the cheesecake didn't count?'

'No, silly,' Blaine chided, disappearing into the house before reappearing seconds later. 'I forgot. I left it under your pillow this morning.'

'Now who's silly?' Kurt said, smiling at Blaine's burst of laughter. He picked Blaine up and placed him on his bed as he reached under his pillow. What he felt under there was something very soft, but a little coarser than the material of his pillow. He knew immediately what it was before he even pulled it out.

'I asked Carole if she could clean it and patch it up a little,' Blaine said, his eyes flicking from Kurt to the object resting in Kurt's hands.

'I…' Kurt began, staring down at the red beret in his fingers. He couldn't possibly take this.

'I know it's not a brand new gift and it is a little old, but I know how much you liked it when you first saw it,' Blaine said quickly, his voice a little uncertain.

'Blaine, it's lovely,' Kurt said, and he was still enamored with the beret since the day he first laid eyes on it. 'But this means a lot to you. I can't just accept it, it's not right…'

'But I want you to have it,' Blaine sighed, sitting down. 'You've taken me in and let me feel like I was a part of a family again, and I hadn't felt that way in so long.' He twisted his hands together nervously. 'And you mean a lot to me, so…'

Kurt felt his fingers slip from the beret as it lay in his lap. Blaine was talking to him but he wasn't really listening, because the sound of his heartbeat rang loudly in his ears. Without thinking, he reached over and picked Blaine up in his palm and brought him closer to his face. Blaine was still babbling, not having noticed that he was no longer resting on the comforter.

'…I just thought the color would look great on you and it would be a nice contrast against some of the items in your wardrobe, because you did tell me that red normally goes well with shades…'

Kurt nodded, bringing him closer. He had never felt the urge to do something so strongly before.

'…and it's still kinda cold outside so it can protect your ears against the wind and…well, I guess it would make you more look fashionable than anyone else out there, not that you already aren't, but-'

With his heartbeat still ringing in his ears, Kurt inched closer until Blaine looked up at him, his eyes wide and curious. Very swiftly, Kurt leaned down and gently pressed his lips to Blaine's cheek, letting it linger there for a little while as he relished the warm contact. There was a soft sound of his lips leaving smooth skin as he moved back to observe the expression on the other boy's face.

'_Thank-you,'_ Kurt whispered, smiling softly.

Blaine's lips parted as if he was going to speak, but he remained silent. He raised his hand up to the cheek where Kurt had kissed him and let it rest there, staring back at Kurt with eyes that were filled with wonder.


	20. Chapter XIX

**Author's note: **We are nearing towards the end with a few more chapters to go. Some exciting developments are happening in the chapter following this one. All I can say is, stay tuned...

* * *

His routine method of hair styling would have seemed like a complicated process to anyone watching him, but Kurt had done it a million times before. He'd washed, added texture spray, blow-dried, used mousse and finished with a quarter-sized amount of gel to his hair so many mornings that he could complete it blindfolded. Blaine would often be gelling his hair at the same time and it became a morning ritual for the two of them. Kurt had been humming a tune under his breath the morning after their date when he caught Blaine's eye in his vanity table mirror. He smiled softly and Blaine smiled back, ducking his head to busy himself with wiping his hands on a tissue before clearing his throat and adjusting his bowtie.

Kurt was adding some final touches to his hair and smoothing down a few flyaway strands on this particular morning. He wasn't humming this time, and if he had he wouldn't have heard a small sigh coming from his vanity table. Kurt looked down; Blaine was perched on his tub of hair gel, his head tilted as his cheek rested on his hand. When he saw Kurt watching him, he blinked slowly, but continued to observe him with a wistful expression. Kurt returned his eyes to his hair in the mirror while trying to ignore the flush that had quickly spread across his cheeks.

'You're awfully quiet this morning,' he remarked, trying to tame a few stubborn strands that were sticking up at the back of his head. Blaine hadn't been his usually chatty self since their date. Kurt had sincerely hoped that he hadn't made things awkward between them by giving him a kiss on the cheek that night. At the same time, he could not regret showing a little affection after receiving Blaine's thoughtful gift.

'No. I've just been…thinking a lot lately,' Blaine replied slowly.

Kurt paused for a moment.

'Is that so?' he said, reaching for his comb. Blaine's answer hadn't sounded reassuring.

'Yeah.' Blaine blinked again and used his finger to trace the outline of a crease in his jeans over his thigh. He shrugged. 'Or maybe I've just been feeling more tired than normal.'

'You do use up a lot of energy, Blaine,' Kurt said, trying to push down the strands with his comb. 'It might not seem like it, but it takes you more than twice the effort to do things that myself and everyone else normally takes for granted. Not getting enough sleep doesn't help, either.'

'But I like our nightly conversations,' Blaine replied, his voice on the edge of a whine.

'I do too,' Kurt responded. 'But I also know the importance of beauty sleep.'

_Not that you need it,_ Kurt thought. He gave up on his stubborn strands with frustrated sigh and put his comb down. 'How about we schedule some time in the afternoon after our lessons to chat over a cup of coffee instead?'

'That might help,' Blaine said, and Kurt could hear that he wasn't too enthused with the idea. Kurt wasn't thrilled with it, either. There was something quite intimate about hushed conversations in the dark of his bedroom that was different to talking with someone at any other time or place. It was as if the night and the anticipation of sleep allowed them to let their guard down and Kurt was able to share more of his thoughts with Blaine without feeling he needed to keep his tongue in check.

'I think I'm ready to face breakfast,' Kurt said, straightening up. He cast his gaze down at Blaine again, only to find that the smaller boy was no longer glancing back.

…

Blaine smoothed down his sweater and adjusted his hair in front of the phone screen. He had received a text message from Trent that he should be expecting a call that afternoon. Blaine had told Kurt that he could stay in the room, but Kurt shook his head and smiled, saying that he was planning on baking a new recipe in the kitchen.

Blaine knew that something had changed between them since their date. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but it felt like he was more attuned to Kurt's presence now. Whenever Kurt smiled at him, he felt all warm and content inside. The last few times Kurt had picked him up, Blaine had relished the contact of his soft hand on his skin. Whatever it was, Blaine wanted _more_ of it.

Finally, a familiar wallpaper of the Warblers in their ridiculous poses flashed up on the phone. Blaine pressed his hand to the screen to answer the Facetime call.

'Hi Trent,' he greeted cheerfully as Trent's round face came into view. 'How's the stomach bug?'

'All clear, finally,' Trent responded. There was a frown in his voice and Blaine's smile vanished quickly. 'Blaine, there's something we need to tell you.'

Blaine noticed that Trent was calling from the common room; behind him, a few Warblers were either standing quietly or sitting on couches. Trent was the only one speaking, and there seemed to be a somber vibe among the boys. Each boy either looked at his hands or at the wall and avoided making eye contact with his fellow Warblers.

'Trent, what's going on?' Blaine asked. Had the Warblers gotten into a fight? Were they apprehensive about attending Regionals? Trent sighed and looked back at him through the screen.

'It's about Pavarotti,' Trent said, each word weighing heavily in his voice. 'He hadn't been chirping as much over the past few weeks and he seemed a little weak, but he wasn't molting. We had left a window open to let some fresh air in, and we opened the door of his cage to clean it and he just…flew away.'

Blaine felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach. 'He's…he's going to come back, right?'

Trent shook his head sadly. 'It's been two days, Blaine. We would have told you earlier but we weren't certain. We know that birds fly away for two reasons. Either because he wanted his freedom…'

'Or because he flew away to die,' Blaine whispered back to him. He looked down at his hands laying in his lap. He could hear Trent talking through the phone but like the other Warblers, he couldn't meet his eyes.

'I'm sorry, Blaine. We all know how much you cared about him.'

Blaine could only nod as Trent promised that they would try and visit him after Regionals. The call ended shortly afterwards and Blaine sat on the vanity table where the phone had been placed, his knees hugged to his chest. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there when Kurt came upstairs but it must have been later than he thought, having noticed that the afternoon sun was starting to settle behind the clouds.

'I don't want to boast, but the raspberry and buttercream cake with chocolate ganache was a success,' Kurt said as he wandered into the room. Blaine could hear his footsteps falling short by the desk. 'Blaine, what's wrong?'

Blaine sighed out a deep breath as he sense Kurt kneeling by the vanity table. 'I got a video call from the Warblers this afternoon,' he said slowly. Kurt was listening patiently so he continued. 'You know how I told you about my feathered friend Pavarotti?' Kurt didn't say anything but Blaine saw that he had nodded. 'Well he's…gone. He might have passed away, I don't know.' Blaine felt a tear roll down his cheek. 'At least…at least he got what he wanted. He's free now, so…' He gulped, unable to find the words to express his grief.

'Blaine,' Kurt said gently above him. Blaine could feel Kurt moving closer and soon, a warm finger was placed on his left shoulder. 'I'm so sorry.'

Blaine nodded, another tear falling down his cheek. 'He was a good friend, you know. I would go to him for advice, and he always knew what to say. I'm…I'm going to miss him.'

'Of course you will,' Kurt replied softly.

They sat in silence for a while. Kurt's finger was a comforting weight on his shoulder until Kurt moved it away. Blaine was still staring down at his hands when Kurt spoke again.

'You know, some wise little person once told me that singing was a good thing to do when someone needed cheering up.'

Blaine managed a small smile. 'I really don't feel like singing right now, Kurt.'

'I know.' Blaine looked up; Kurt was gazing down at him, his blue eyes considering him quietly. 'Can I sing to you?'

Blaine looked into his lap again. 'I…I guess so.'

Kurt shifted his weight from his knees. 'You may have heard this one before. It's called _Blackbird._'

Blaine closed his eyes as Kurt began to sing softly to him, the lyrics washing over him like a gentle wave.

_Blackbird singing in the dead of night__  
__Take these broken wings and learn to fly__  
__All your life__  
__You were only waiting for this moment to arise…_

He glanced up as Kurt as he reached the chorus of the song. Kurt had been watching him while he was singing, but now he seemed to be lost in the song, looking in Blaine's direction but not really seeing. His eyes were bright and clear, his pale skin flushed with his singing. Blaine almost wanted to lay down and fall asleep to Kurt's soothing tone but he forced himself to keep his gaze fixed on the other boy.

_Yes, something had changed between us, _Blaine thought. Slowly, a realization began to dawn on him about halfway through Kurt's song, and he sat up curiously. Kurt was looking back at him now, pausing to give him a gentle smile before continuing to sing.

Blaine felt his heart skip a beat. The warm feeling inside his belly returned, and suddenly Blaine understood. It had been there all along.

When Kurt stopped singing, he placed a finger on Blaine's cheek to wipe away a tear that Blaine hadn't even noticed had fallen.

_So that's what it was,_ Blaine thought to himself. He opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. All he could do was gaze up at the boy who had made his tiny heart overflow with love.


	21. Chapter XX

Sebastian thought he was in heaven. Blaine was lying on his stomach over one of the armrests of the sofa with his head resting on his arms. It had taken a lot of persuading, but finally the small boy had reluctantly agreed to have Sebastian lick his face to reward him for his lonely night in the laundry. So Sebastian happily licked away at Blaine's cheek, marveling at how soft it felt and how sweet it tasted under his pink tongue. If he could, Sebastian would gladly lick him for hours. Days, even.

He hadn't noticed how quiet the boy was until he spoke five minutes in.

'Sebastian, have you ever been in love?'

Sebastian paused mid-lick.

'Many times,' he said, resuming his task.

'Really?' Blaine turned on his side and looked up at him. Sebastian sighed and moved back as Blaine waited patiently for an explanation.

'Whenever a cute little kitten crosses my path, I get these…feelings within me that I can't quite explain. It goes away twenty minutes after we've met. Happens every time.'

'Um…I wouldn't call that love, Sebastian,' Blaine replied.

'Call it what you want,' Sebastian said. 'But that's love to me.' He released his tongue past his lips, hoping that the conversation was over so that he could go back to his licking.

'All right, how about a different scenario. Have you ever wanted someon...something so bad but it was the one thing you knew you couldn't have?'

'Give me an example,' Sebastian said, stealing a speedy lick while Blaine was on his back.

'Okay…say you really wanted a piece of Carole's lemon meringue pie.'

Sebastian's ears pricked up with interest. 'Go on.'

'And it's freshly baked, but you're not allowed to have it.'

'Is it in the refrigerator?' Sebastian asked. That could make things complicated.

'Uh…let's say no, in this instance.'

'Then I'd still have it,' Sebastian replied, matter of factually. 'I would climb up on to the kitchen table, or the windowsill and take a bite.'

'Even if Carole banned you from the kitchen?'

Sebastian scoffed, moving away from Blaine and letting his tail flop on a cushion. 'Who cares? It would still be worth it. If you want something that badly, you go out and get it. To hell with the consequences; you deal with that stuff later. ' He glanced down at Blaine with a smirk as the small boy stared back at him. 'Luckily I won't have that problem.'

'And why is that?' Blaine asked curiously.

'You understand me, Sugarpuss,' he said, stalking back over to Blaine. 'I can ask you to sneak me a little piece. And besides,' Sebastian continued, placing a wide lick across Blaine's cheek as the boy shivered. 'You're better than any pie I've tasted.'

…

'_What's on your mind, Blaine?'_

Kurt had asked him that very question that morning, and it had been repeating itself in Blaine's mind ever since. Blaine _did_ know what was on his mind, and it was something that had come as a bit of a shock to him. He couldn't use the tiredness excuse anymore so he lied and told Kurt he was a little nervous about the Warblers performing at Regionals without his presence. Kurt said that he had the same feeling about his glee club as well, and suggested they could go and watch them both perform in a few days' time.

Kurt was doing his nightly skincare routine in the bathroom mirror early because, he had argued, he couldn't be bothered bringing all of his products to Rachel's. He had been invited to a sleepover at Rachel's house, along with his other friend Mercedes. Blaine had been invited to come along but he declined, saying that it would be nice for Kurt to spend some time with his friends. He could sense Kurt's excitement at the prospect of spending time with the two girls later that night as he bounced a little on the balls of his feet. His eyes were sparkling and he was rubbing lotion into his skin with more enthusiasm than usual.

'…and popcorn always makes an appearance, in fact I'd say it was mandatory,' Kurt said, concentrating on an area below his eye. 'We have so much to catch up on since Regionals is happening this week. I know they're going to try and convince me to come back to McKinley.' He paused to squeeze some lotion out of a tube of moisturizer. 'I have kind of been thinking about it lately.'

'That's great, Kurt,' Blaine said. Kurt had changed a lot since he first spied him in the hallway at McKinley. Blaine was very much in awe of Kurt's transformation No longer did he fumble over his words and refuse to leave the house for days at a time. Instead, he was replaced with a more confident, content young man who looked Blaine in the eye when he spoke and was not afraid to voice his own opinion.

But at the same time Blaine remembered the words he spoke to Kurt months ago when they were at Dalton and Kurt tentatively asked him how long he could stay.

_As long as you want me._

Blaine knew this day would come eventually; he watched the other boy chatting animatedly about the sleepover and Kurt had already made up his mind for him.

Kurt didn't need him anymore. He was strong enough to stand on his own two feet and go back to McKinley, Blaine to Dalton. Blaine's heart felt heavy as he thought about it, but he tried to be happy for him. He watched Kurt with a sad smile from his position sitting on the ledge of the bathroom mirror.

'So I've already packed for the night and should be back just in time for brunch,' Kurt was saying as he turned off the tap and placed a plug in the sink hole. He turned on the cold water and let it fill up the basin. 'Actually…I am still deciding between my burgundy and my navy silk pajamas. I thought you could give me an opinion...Blaine?'

Blaine shook himself out of his reverie. 'Sure,' he replied half-heartedly. He reasoned that he could still keep in contact with Kurt through Facetime after he left. He knew Carole and Burt were always checking up on his whereabouts and Finn would want to hang out with him from time to time, for novelty's sake. Sebastian would be devastated, though he would try to brush it off. Kurt would go on living his own life and return to singing at his glee club. Blaine would do the same, but he would miss Kurt terribly.

Blaine shook his head. No, he couldn't jump to conclusions. Because while Kurt may have changed, something had changed within him too. It was the way he felt about Kurt. It may mean that he would have a silly schoolboy crush on Kurt for a long time, but Kurt needed to know. He had to let Kurt know about his feelings before he left.

Blaine was fighting a battle within himself. How would Kurt react? Would he take pity on him and smile? Would he shake his head sadly if Blaine told him he could be his tiny boyfriend…maybe forever? Would that even be enough?

'I'm going to grab my hair gel and I'll be right back,' Kurt said, lifting Blaine from his thoughts again as he turned off the tap. 'Are you sure you don't want to come over to Rachel's tonight?'

'Yeah,' Blaine said softly, looking up into Kurt's warm eyes. 'You go and have fun.'

'Don't miss me too much while I'm gone,' Kurt said jokingly as he began to walk away but to Blaine it felt like a pang to his heart. He was going to reply but the other boy had already left the bathroom. Blaine made a noise of frustration and put his head in his hands.

Kurt was leaving soon for the sleepover and it wasn't the best time to lay something so heavy on him, but Blaine couldn't take it anymore. His hidden feelings had been swirling around in his chest for days and days and if he didn't talk to Kurt soon, he felt as though he might burst. He hopped down off the ledge and walked across the edge of the basin, calling out as loud as he could.

'_Kurt, there's something I need to tell y-'_

Blaine didn't notice the puddle of water that had dripped around the basin until he had stepped in it. He skidded and fell forward, hitting his head with a loud bang on the side of the chrome tap. He slipped off the edge of the basin and fell into the water.

The cold water immediately penetrated his layers of clothing as he found himself sinking, his head pounding from the impact with the tap. He felt disoriented; he knew how to swim, but he didn't know which direction lead him upwards to the surface. He was struggling to hold his breath when a series of moving images began to flash before his eyes.

Suddenly he was watching his own life as an observer; his mother smiling over his shoulder while he placed sprinkles on his birthday cake; Mrs Frederick measuring him for some new clothes; bowing to applause after auditioning for a group of boys in navy and red uniforms; Pavarotti whistling a tune to him after he professed not knowing a song; a Christmas dinner with a noisy but loving family, and then there was Kurt. Kurt crying, blushing, singing along with Blaine's own voice, laughing at his silly gestures, kissing him softly on the cheek, beaming down at him while wearing the red beret that belonged to Blaine's mother…

_I'm drowning,_ Blaine realized, but he knew it was too late. He thought he heard a distressed scream somewhere above the surface but it faded away along with Kurt's image as everything turned to black.


	22. Chapter XXI

Kurt hummed as he made his way back to the bathroom, a tub of hair gel held loosely in his hand. He couldn't remember the last time he had left the house to go out at night and he couldn't wait to spend some time with his two closest friends. It had been too long.

He was still humming a tune as he entered the bathroom, only to notice that Blaine had vanished from the mirror's ledge.

'Blaine..?' he said, looking at the ledge as he stepped up to the basin. 'Where did you g-'

His eyes drifted downwards to the water-filled basin. A tiny boy was submerged face down in the water and slowly sinking to the bottom. The tub of hair gel slipped from Kurt's fingers and fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

'_BLAINE!'_ Kurt screamed, plunging his hands into the basin and quickly pulling out the boy from the water. It splashed all over the floor tiles but Kurt's only concern was for the boy sprawled limply in the palm of his hand. 'Blaine, no, no, no, please…please be okay…'

Kurt's lower lip and hands were trembling as his fingers pressed gently against Blaine's chest, trying to expel any water that Blaine had swallowed. A few drops dribbled from his lips, but he was deathly pale, and his skin was turning to the shade of freshly-laid snow. He placed his thumb on Blaine's cheek and gasped.

'You're so cold, Blaine.' Kurt felt something warm and wet sliding down his cheeks and he figured he must be crying. He speedily worked his finger over Blaine's chest, trying to get more water out. He grabbed a clean hand towel and placed it on the bathroom counter next to the basin, gently lying Blaine down over it on his back. He breathed out shakily and knelt down beside Blaine, and he could feel more tears filling his eyes, making his vision blurry.

'Please don't die, Blaine!' Kurt cried, tears flowing more freely now. 'Please…please, I-I can't lose you. Please don't leave me…' He began to massage his fingers across Blaine's shoulders, trying to nudge him awake, but the small boy remained unresponsive. A cold dread swept through Kurt's stomach and his fingers slipped as he doubled over with a loud sob.

'_I'm yours, Blaine,'_ he whispered, sobbing quietly as his thumb returned to Blaine's cheek, stroking gently. _'I'm all yours and if you leave m-me now, it will…it will kill me.'_

A soft, warm sensation began to spread to Kurt's fingertips and Kurt looked over at Blaine again in surprise, but then the feeling vanished as quickly as it had come, and Blaine felt cold again.

A slam of a door downstairs made Kurt jolt up. Wiping his eyes, he gingerly picked up the cotton towel and the small boy lying on it and quickly made his way downstairs.

…

Burt had placed his shopping bags down on the kitchen table when Kurt raced into the room, cradling a small cotton towel.

'Hey buddy, what's-' Burt began, but stopped himself once he took one look at his son's tear-stricken face. He walked around the table to him in haste, observing the tuff of wet dark hair peeking from the towel. 'What happened?'

'I don't know!' Kurt sobbed, his body shaking. 'I found him in the water and…and…'

'Here, let's put him down,' Burt said, his voice a little unsteady though he tried to keep calm for his son. 'Gently, there we go.'

The towel with the smaller boy was placed on the kitchen table and Burt could clearly see that Blaine had gotten himself into some sort of situation involving water; he was drenched from head to toe. Kurt had placed his head in his hands and was crying quietly. Burt crouched down and placed his finger on Blaine's chest, pressing it around, trying to search for a heartbeat. After a tense moment, he let out a soft chuckle and looked up at his son. Kurt was staring back at him with wide eyes, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

'He's breathing,' Burt said with a relieved smile, removing his finger so that he could point to Blaine. 'Look at his chest.'

It was more apparent now to see Blaine's tiny frame accommodating the slow rise and fall of his breath.

'_Oh thank God,'_ Kurt breathed as he crouched down next to his father. He was still shaking so Burt placed an arm around him. 'I…I don't understand it, I was t-trying to r-revive him when we were in the bathroom but he…he was out cold.'

'You must've done something right,' Burt said, giving his son a quick squeeze before standing up. 'I'm going to call Dalton, let Mrs Frederick know. He's got a bruise on his forehead so we'd better let the doctor take a look at it.'

By the time the doctor and Mrs Frederick arrived, Blaine had been taken upstairs and placed into Kurt's bed, with the small pillow to accommodate the boy taken from Blaine's own bed. Kurt had insisted that Blaine would be warmer there with the thicker blankets, and Burt wasn't one to argue with him at this point.

Mrs Frederick looked a lot paler than usual and Burt reasoned it must have been from the shock upon hearing Blaine had almost drowned in the bathroom.

'It hasn't happened before,' Mrs Frederick said to Burt, her worried eyes taking in Blaine's appearance as the doctor examined him. 'But he's had so many bumps and bruises and still manages to get up and run around afterwards. I would bet you anything that it is just a mild concussion.' Her voice didn't waver when she spoke, but Burt could still hear the uncertainty behind it.

'Looks like only a minor concussion,' the doctor said, standing up. He was much older than Burt and wore a thick silver moustache that quivered when he spoke. 'Bruising isn't too severe or deep enough to cause internal bleeding but he needs to let it heal. He may be disoriented when he awakes, but I advise plenty of bed rest and painkillers when needed. Make sure he keeps up his fluid intake.'

'Will do,' Burt said. 'Thank-you.'

The doctor had taken care with placing a small bandage over the right side of Blaine's forehead where he had apparently hit his head. Kurt was seated on the edge of his bed, watching Blaine quietly after Burt had farewelled the doctor and Mrs Frederick downstairs. He hadn't moved from his position for over an hour.

'Shouldn't you be getting ready?' Burt asked him.

'I'm not going,' Kurt said, still staring over at Blaine. 'I just can't leave him here, Dad.'

Burt sighed. 'Bud, you haven't shut up about this get together with the girls all week. Go.'

'But-'

'Kurt, he's fine. I'll check up on him every half-hour. He's not going to be alone.'

Kurt turned to him. 'I thought I'd lost him. I was so scared, Dad.' His eyes looked tired, defeated. 'I could never say goodbye to him.'

'I know,' Burt said, understanding the significance of what his son was saying, but at the same time trying to reassure him. 'But he's fine now. I'm here, Finn and Carol will be back shortly. We'll look after him.'

'Promise?'

'Promise.' He watched as Kurt stood up hesitantly from his bed.

'I'll text when I can from Rachel's…' Kurt began, but Burt held up his hand.

'How about I call you before ten o'clock,' Burt said. 'That way you're not worrying while you're over there. He won't be up for much talking when he wakes.'

It took a little more convincing for Kurt to leave for Rachel's house, but when he did, Burt was true to his word. He went upstairs every half-hour to check up on the smaller boy.

When it was a quarter past eight, Burt approached his son's bedroom door, only to find the door almost closed but left slightly ajar. From the obscured view of the bedroom that the gap in the door provided, he could see Finn sitting on the carpet, his knees folded up to his chest as he spoke towards the bed.

'…never had a bro as tiny as you before,' Finn was saying. 'And sometimes I don't appreciate all the stuff you've done for me, you know? I think that's pretty cool so I want you to know that. And I know you went out on a date with Rachel and that's cool, because then you went out on a date with Kurt later so I guess it evens out. Yeah, Rachel told me all about it,' Finn continued as Burt listened, surprised that Kurt hadn't mentioned anything to him about a so called "date" with Blaine. The thought of it made Burt smile as he continued listening to Finn's voice through the door.

'Actually, since you're gay and all and aren't interested in girls, I'm going to give Rachel another chance. I was thinking asking her out this weekend, after Sectionals. Maybe when you wake up, we could, you know, hang out. Maybe you could give me dating tips or something.'

Burt decided to leave Finn in peace but he passed Carole on the way downstairs, who insisted on checking up on Blaine between the times that Burt wouldn't be in the room. She promptly kicked Finn out of the bedroom, telling him that the smaller boy needed his rest and that he could talk his ear off when Blaine was awake _and_ recovered.

At one point during the evening, Burt heard a patter of small feet on the carpet behind him. He turned around to see that the cat had wandered into the bedroom and was glancing past him up to the bed. Sebastian let out a long, distressed meow, the likes of which Burt had never heard of before.

'Hey, not you too!' Burt muttered, staring down at the cat. 'He's going to be all right. Look.'

He picked up Sebastian and brought him over to the bed. Blaine was still lying peacefully on his back, his breathing calm and steady.

'We'll check up on him in another thirty minutes,' Burt said, as the cat eyed Blaine intently. 'C'mon, let's go.'

At a quarter to eleven, Burt made another trip upstairs to Kurt's bedroom and he knew it would have to be his last for the evening, as he and Carole were struggling to stay awake. He had hoped that he could hear Blaine speak a few words, just to reassure his own uneasiness about seeing the other boy so quiet and still. After finding no change in the boy's state, his hope was dashed but it was when he turned around to leave that he heard a faint groan. Burt glanced back to the bed; Blaine had shifted so that his hand was resting on his forehead on the part that wasn't bandaged. His eyelids were moving like he was struggling to open his eyes.

'Hey kiddo,' Burt said softly, sitting down on the edge of Kurt's bed.

'W-where am I?' Blaine muttered hoarsely, blinking his eyes open before closing them against the strong lamplight emitting from the bedside table. 'What time is it?'

'Time to get some sleep,' Burt said, observing the boy carefully. 'You were knocked out by a nasty bump to your head. You had us scared there for a little while.'

'Oh…sorry,' Blaine replied, yawning widely. Much like before, Burt heard the sound of smaller feet trot up to the bed. He reached behind him and picked up Sebastian so that the cat could see the smaller boy on the bed. He immediately let out a loud meow.

'M'fine, I guess,' Blaine mumbled, as Sebastian let out a softer meow. 'No, I don't think that will help.'

Burt gave the cat a strange look and placed him down on the carpet. 'How about I move you to your own bed, you'll be more comfortable there.'

Blaine mumbled something that Burt couldn't quite make out, but it didn't matter, because the boy's eyes were drifting shut again. Burt gently picked up Blaine and his pillow and tucked him in to his own bed, placing a tiny glass of water on the stool beside him in the bedroom of the dollhouse. By the time Burt stood up to retire to bed, Blaine was already fast asleep.

Burt ushered Sebastian out of the room and picked up the kitchen phone to call Kurt, knowing that his son was still awake at the sleepover. Blaine waking up could only mean a better night's sleep for everybody in the family, whether or not they were sleeping in the house that night.


	23. Chapter XXII

**Author's note: **I'm really excited about this chapter, and as you read it, you'll see why :)

* * *

Blaine peeked at the top of the cake. It was covered in chocolate icing and he grinned as he saw his name written in cursive vanilla frosting. Its middle was filled with buttercream which brimmed out around its sides. Cocoa-flavored cream decorated its edges. It looked delicious.

'Mom?' Blaine asked, eyeing the cake appreciatively. 'Does this cake need chocolate sprinkles?'

He heard warm laughter behind him and a soft voice respond.

'It certainly does, sweetheart,' his mother replied. 'I would have let you put them on the cake, if only I had any with me.'

Blaine turned around. His mother was standing a few feet away, watching him at a distance. She was wearing her familiar polka dot dress under a well-worn grey cardigan and her long brown hair was hung loosely over one shoulder. She seemed a lot smaller in Blaine's eyes since he last saw her.

'Why did you make another cake?' Blaine asked. His eighth birthday had already passed.

His mother smiled sadly. 'It is to celebrate _you,_ honey.'

'But why?' Blaine replied.

His mother stepped forward, grasping her hands. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

'I am so sorry, Blaine. I never should have lost my temper with your father. You've grown into such a beautiful, sweet young man. I am so proud of you.' Her amber eyes shone softly. 'You are so brave.'

Blaine shook his head. He didn't understand.

'That boy that you gave my beret to: keep him close,' she continued, as a smile began to brighten her features. 'I am glad that you found him. He has helped you more than you know, and I am so thankful for him.'

'Mom?' Blaine said, but his mother held out her hand.

'I'll always keep an eye out for you, Blaine' she said, stretching out her fingers. 'I promise you'll have me watching over you, always.'

Blaine reached out for her palm, but before their fingers could meet, his mother vanished. Suddenly he realized that he wasn't eight anymore, and his mother had passed away. He tumbled forward as he felt the floor underneath him slip away and he was falling, down, down into a grey tunnel-like abyss, and he clenched his eyes as he braced himself for impact.

Instead of falling to the ground, he was caught by something soft yet solid, firm enough to keep him steady - a person. Blaine glanced up; Kurt was looking down at him, smiling softly. Blaine's breath caught when he realized he wasn't in the palm of Kurt's hand; he was in his arms.

Then Kurt was leaning forward and whispering into his ear. But it wasn't Kurt's voice he heard. It was his mother's.

'_Wake up, sweetheart.'_

Blaine's eyes shot open and he sat up in bed, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest and his forehead slicked with sweat. A quick glance around the bedroom of the dollhouse told him that he had been dreaming. He pressed his hands to his stomach and looked down. He was still the same size.

He sighed and laid back against his pillow. Not wanting to get out of bed, he leaned over and rummaged around in his suitcase which he had begun packing the previous afternoon. He pulled out his pocket watch, which he rarely used now with all the clocks in the household. The watch told him it was five minutes to midnight.

Blaine placed the pocket watch down and stared up at the ceiling. He could still hear his mother's voice in his ear, urging him to wake up, and he blamed himself for not recognizing that his mother had passed sooner. He recalled her words when she told him he was brave, and being proud of him, and tears began to prick his eyes. He had not cried over his mother since he was a small boy, but now as he turned around to lie on his side and tighten his blankets, he couldn't help but let out a shaky sob.

He closed his eyes as more tears streamed down his face. His dream felt _so _real, and if he had the opportunity again, he would have told her how much he missed her and that he didn't blame her for the curse which lead to his size being no bigger than an average mouse. Blaine swallowed, knowing that wallowing in regret wasn't going to bring his mother back or make falling asleep any easier. He brought the pillow closer to his head and buried himself deeper under the cover of his blankets. The room was so quiet that he could hear the rhythmic ticking of the pocket watch counting each second as it passed.

Blaine stirred, drawing his blankets tighter around his body and squeezing his eyes, as if the very motion would make sleep come faster to him.

Somewhere below him, the tiny pocket watch ticked its hand over to the number twelve, and all the other clocks, watches and digital displays in the house followed suit.

It began with Blaine's toes; a warm, pulsing feeling that prickled the soles of his feet and moved to his heels. It almost felt to Blaine like he was being tickled.

He blinked his eyes open when the tickling feeling spread through his legs and moved on to his belly, flowing up his spine and reaching his chest. Just as Blaine was about to start giggling, it stopped and then Blaine felt a very strange sensation. It spread like a lightning bolt throughout his entire body, leaving behind a trail of little quivers in its wake.

Blaine scrambled up from his pillow and pulled the covers away from his body. He glanced down to find his torso expanding as buttons began popping off his pajama top to fly across the room. He wasn't moving but his body felt like it was growing, stretching, expanding outwards and reaching up towards the ceiling. With a loud _riiippp, _his pajama top, bottoms, undershirt and underwear began to shrink and tear, as if they could not hold his size any more.

'_W-What's happening?!'_ Blaine cried out to the dark room, but he didn't get a chance to say much else when he realized his head was going to hit the ceiling. Everything in the room was getting smaller. Or was he getting bigger?

In seconds, he crashed through the ceiling of the little bedroom with a loud cry of surprise as his body grew up and outwards, creating a large hole in the room. Blaine closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness hit him as he shot up from the dollhouse, his head and upper body hitting the cooler air in Kurt's bedroom as his legs grew longer. Then it stopped, and everything was still. Blaine slowly blinked his eyes open and looked around cautiously.

He was in Kurt's bedroom but no longer in the dollhouse – well, a part of him still was. He could actually see over the top of Kurt's bed now and the bedroom furniture no longer looked like it belonged to a giant through his eyes. He looked down at his hands; nothing had changed there, but everything around him was…well, Blaine thought everything looked smaller. Then Blaine understood. Everything was smaller because he was _bigger._ He wasn't tiny any more. He was…

Blaine stepped forward to move over to the vanity mirror, but in his haste he forgot that one of his legs was still lodged in the dollhouse. He cried out as he toppled over, bringing the dollhouse with him and causing him to land on the floor with a loud _crash._

As he groaned and tried to pull his leg free, Blaine heard sharp whispers from out in the hallway. He saw that the light near the staircase had quickly flickered on. He pried his foot away from the pieces of broken walls of the small house behind him and tried to stand up, just as he heard a series of footsteps hurry up to the bedroom door.

Blaine placed his hand in front of his eyes when the hallway light flooded the room, but he quickly remembered he was without clothing and moved them down to his crotch to cover himself. He squinted uncomfortably as Burt, Carole and Finn burst into the room. Finn was holding a baseball bat up in both hands, poised to strike with a determined look across his face, but he lowered it slowly as he stared at Blaine.

'Wait…whoa…what…' Finn said, his eyes growing wide in the light. Carole gasped and placed a hand over her mouth.

Burt's reaction was entirely different. 'Well…' he mumbled, reaching up to scratch at his bald head as he took in the sight of the young man standing naked in his son's bedroom.

Blaine didn't know what to say either. All he could do was look back at them and raise his shoulders in an apologetic shrug.

…

Kurt clutched his pillow close as he walked bleary-eyed up the driveway to the house, his night bag over his right shoulder. While he enjoyed his time with Rachel and Mercedes, he was glad to be finally home. His worrying over Blaine's condition had lessened when he received a call from his father, but he managed on little sleep throughout the night. He woke up before Mercedes and apologized to Rachel before she could beg him to stay for breakfast.

As he opened the front door with his house key and closed it quietly, he heard voices coming from the kitchen.

'…don't know, maybe I can tell her Sebastian wrecked it or something.'

'A cat wouldn't cause that much damage, Finn. Burt, surely could we try fixing it?'

Kurt heard a sigh. 'Needs a lot of work. But there's no harm in trying.' He stepped in to the kitchen to find his father, Carole and Finn already up and sitting around the kitchen table. A large pan and a bowl of pancake batter sat on the counter by the stove.

'Hey, buddy,' Burt said, glancing up. 'We weren't expecting you back so early.'

But Kurt's eyes were staring at what remained of Rachel's dollhouse that had been placed in the center of the table. Its white picket fence had been flattened. The roof had completely caved in. Walls and floors were hanging off the edges while the furniture inside had been forcibly disturbed. It was in ruins.

'Where's Blaine?' Kurt asked slowly, his eyes unable to tear themselves away from the wreckage.

His father, Carole and Finn exchanged looks.

'He's upstairs,' Burt said, eyeing Kurt a little warily, even though a curious smile was on his face. 'Uh…Kurt, listen-'

Kurt wasn't sure he could listen to what his father wanted to say. He dropped his bag and pillow on the kitchen floor and raced out of the room, calling out as he ran upstairs.

'_BLAINE! Blaine, are you okay?!'_

His heart was thumping and he had an uneasy feeling in his chest when he reached his bedroom door but it didn't stop him from pushing it open and dashing inside.

'_Blain-'_

His voice left him as he stood in the center of his room, his eyes casting a disbelieving stare at what was in front of him for the second time that morning.

A boy was sitting on the edge of his bed. He was wearing sweatpants that Kurt had seen Finn wear on more than one occasion, but they reached past his ankles and covered some of his feet. He was dressed in one of Kurt's undershirts that looked a little too big on him. His feet were bare but the heating in the bedroom made the carpet warm underneath. There was a fresh bandage on the right side of his forehead. The light of the sunrise streaming through his bedroom window did not reflect off the boy's hair, as it had no gel in it yet.

Kurt couldn't move when the boy spotted him; his brown eyes sparkled and a tiny smile graced his features. He stood up and approached him, and Kurt was somewhat pleased to see that the boy was still a little shorter than he was. When the boy stood in front of him, Kurt could feel the warmth radiating off his skin.

'Hi, Kurt,' the boy said, smiling shyly. He didn't seem offended when Kurt didn't respond, but Kurt couldn't find his tongue. All he could do was stare openly at the boy who used to fit in the palm of his hand.

Kurt's eyes flicked over Blaine's features; his inviting eyes, the dimples in his cheeks, his soft lips. The boy was gorgeous, breathtakingly so. Kurt could hardly breathe when Blaine stood up on his tiptoes and moved closer so that he could feel his warm breath only millimeters away. He could hear his heart beating loudly as Blaine leaned forward and he felt the gentle press of soft lips on his cheek, lingering there for a brief moment before Blaine pulled away, blushing slightly

'_I've always wanted to do that,'_ he whispered, sounding pleased. Kurt responded in kind with a pink flush that spread quickly across his cheeks, but he noticed that Blaine hadn't moved away. Kurt saw the questioning look in the other boy's eyes when he dared to flick his own eyes down to Blaine's lips, his own parting when Blaine's eyes did the same. Kurt leaned over at the same time that Blaine did, slowly closing the gap between them as he let his eyes flutter closed…

'_Boys! Come downstairs and have some breakfast!'_

Both boys jumped backwards in surprise. They each shared a nervous laugh, Blaine rubbing the back of his neck while Kurt looked away, biting his lip. After a long pause, Kurt sighed and grabbed Blaine's hand.

'Come on, you must be starving.'

A low growl escaped from Blaine's stomach and he clutched it with his free hand.

'Now that you've mentioned it…' Blaine began, looking embarrassed.

Kurt laughed and pulled him out into the hallway to make their way downstairs. He had so many questions about Blaine and the dollhouse and what had happened while he was away that night, but they could wait for now. Blaine needed to fill himself up with as many pancakes as he could muster and a hot mug of cocoa, and Kurt could really do with those too.


	24. Chapter XXIII

Blaine slipped on one of his sneakers and began to do up the laces. Actually, they were not his sneakers. They belonged to Kurt, but since he had grown into his normal size overnight, he was given Kurt's things to wear for the time being (Finn's clothing swamped him). Kurt didn't seem to mind; he was quite pleased to see Blaine dressed in his clothing, and even pulled out more items from his wardrobe to coordinate outfits for him.

Kurt had immediately informed him that they were going to spend most of the weekend shopping for new outfits, while Carole told him not to worry about the essentials, like underwear and socks, because she would buy them for him herself as she did with Finn (who was very reluctant to admit it). Blaine really did need some clothing of his own, but he knew Kurt was also using the shopping as an excuse to distract him from the news that the Warblers had lost Regionals to the New Directions, which he was a little upset about, though he politely congratulated Finn on progressing through to the finals. As he waited for Kurt to come downstairs, Blaine finished tying up his shoelaces on the sofa in the living room and rested his feet on the coffee table, as he'd seen the two boys in the house do occasionally.

Finding himself suddenly at a larger size took some time getting used to. For one, he didn't have to strain his neck as much to look up at people. He could actually use the furniture as it was meant to be used, and he didn't need to bother with climbing up on it like he had to previously. He used his own two legs to get around and it took him no time at all to go from Kurt's bedroom to the bathroom and then downstairs to the kitchen. Burt and Carole had set up a makeshift bed for him complete with a single mattress in Kurt's bedroom, but he had barely used it for sleep, as he and Kurt had spent most of the first night of his transformation talking well into the early hours of the morning.

One of the things that Blaine missed about his smaller size was being carried around in people's palms, especially Kurt's, as his were soft from all the moisturizer and hand lotion he used. Blaine accidently let this slip to Kurt half an hour ago while they were getting dressed. He felt a bit embarrassed afterwards, but Kurt just laughed and hugged him before telling him he thought it was adorable. When Blaine asked if he could hold hands with him instead, Kurt had become misty-eyed and he told Blaine that he could take his hand at any time, and he didn't need his permission to do so.

Another thing Blaine missed was his collection of bow ties. They looked tiny when he placed them on his fingertip and he needed the aid of a magnifying glass to see the intricate colors and patterns on the fabric. He wondered if the Warblers didn't mind him asking around for him, because he knew their uncles and grandfathers would own some hard-to-find pieces that they rarely used.

But overall, he was very pleased with the turn of events. Never did he think that he would return back to a normal size after losing hope so long ago. Now he could do things that he thought he could never do again. He could eat like everyone else. He could read large-print books and sleep in big beds like everyone else. He could make his own chocolate chip cookies. He could hug someone back.

As he thought through his mental list of clothing he needed to buy, he remembered that it would be his first time out for a long time in a public place where he didn't have to hide from strangers. While the idea was liberating, he also had to admit that he felt a little nervous. He couldn't remember the last time he visited the mall. But then he remembered that he could hold Kurt's hand without having to ask him, and his apprehension disappeared into thin air.

As Blaine was deep in his musings, he didn't notice that Sebastian had entered the living room and had sat down on the carpet in front of the sofa. After a while, Blaine glanced down and was surprised to see Sebastian staring up at him, like he had been for some time. His eyes were flicking from Blaine's lap up to his face and back again, silently asking for permission for something that Blaine knew all too well about.

'Fine,' he sighed, uncrossing his arms and placing them on the sofa. 'But only until Kurt comes downstairs.'

Sebastian leapt up to the sofa gleefully and moved around in Blaine's lap until he found a position comfortable enough to settle into. Blaine raised his hand and placed it over Sebastian's head, moving it across his back and smoothing down his fur in the process. It was quiet apart from the soft noise that the movement of Blaine's palm over Sebastian's back caused and the occasional contented purr. All was well until the cat decided to open his mouth.

'So, Blaine,' Sebastian said, his tone lascivious. 'What is it like to screw one of your stepbrothers? I'm curious; surely that would imply…hey no, wait, Blaine…' Sebastian looked up at him with panicked eyes as Blaine placed him down on the carpet. 'Come on, I didn't mean anything _bad _by it,' he pleaded, as Blaine folded his arms and frowned at him. 'Blaine..?'

'Kurt and I are _not _stepbrothers,' Blaine said. 'Well, not really. I mean, Burt and Carole had talked about adopting me a few months ago but they said they would wait it out because they didn't want to pry me away from Dalton, where I was getting a good education and support because of my size.' He felt his cheeks growing hotter as he addressed the other part of Sebastian's comment. 'And we are not doing…_that._ It would be widely inappropriate and we haven't even kissed yet, so-'

'Why not?'

'Well…it doesn't feel like the right time, or place…'

'Is it even necessary?'

'What is?'

'Kissing,' Sebastian said, his tail swishing restlessly around him. 'Or is a prelude to more…unwholesome activities?'

'No,' Blaine said, wondering how he got into such a conversation with the cat in the first place. 'I mean it could be, but it doesn't have to be. It all depends on the moment being right. But for now, we have other things to focus on. Kurt is returning to McKinley next Friday, and I'll be at Dalton before then. I have a lot of things to prepare for before I start attending classes again.'

'That's great, but help me out here,' Sebastian said, staring intently at Blaine's lap.

'Shopping is going to take up most of my time this weekend, but that's okay, because I don't return until Tuesday,' Blaine continued, ignoring Sebastian's plea. 'Kurt promised to show me how to bake some chocolate chip cookies, real ones and not with sultanas this time, so we might need to get more ingredients for that. And then there's-'

'I'm going to have to start begging, and it's not going to be pretty,' Sebastian muttered, his claws digging into the rug.

'-gifts that I want to get the family, and Mrs Frederick for helping out with our tutoring, since she won't be coming over anymore, and…'

'Blaine…'

'-maybe the Warblers will appreciate something too, like a thank-you gift, if I get time to look around-'

'_Blaine-'_

'-and maybe-'

'_Blaaaaaiiiiiinnnnee,'_ Sebastian whined, pawing at Blaine's jeans frantically.

'All right, I hear you!' Blaine sighed, picking up Sebastian quickly and placing him back in his lap before he had a chance to rip Kurt's jeans to shreds. Sebastian stretched out over him and raised his head in anticipation. 'Satisfied?'

'Very,' Sebastian said with a smirk as Blaine resumed his petting. 'Just a little lower – ah! Right there.'

Blaine held back his laughter as he moved his hand to the desired spot. 'I'd say you were very bossy, but then how else are you going to get your way?'

'True.' He heard Sebastian sigh and felt him sink further into his lap. 'It will be less fun without you around, Sugarpuss.'

Blaine smiled at the familiar nickname and thought for a moment. 'Maybe an apology might convince me to bring you to Dalton to meet my fellow orphans. They rarely see domestic pets at Dalton like your kind so they would appreciate having the opportunity to pet your lovely fur, Sebastian.'

Sebastian was quiet for a moment. 'I'm sorry,' he said, after a long pause.

Blaine's chest rumbled with laughter. 'No you're not, pussycat.'

Sebastian chuckled. 'No, I most certainly am not. What can I say? I'm a cat without regrets.'


	25. Chapter XXIV

**Author's note:** Two updates in the one day, you say? Being on break does makes a difference! This is the final chapter. I'm currently working on the epilogue which will be posted within the next few days.

* * *

Kurt followed Blaine silently down the polished hallway, Sebastian in his arms. Spring had finally decided to make an appearance that week in late March so they were able to forgo their coats and get away with wearing only their cardigans instead. Kurt had worn his trusty black cardigan for this occasion; ahead of him, Blaine was wearing his new navy cardigan that he had picked out for himself at the mall that past weekend.

Sebastian was looking around curiously as he walked, his eyes dancing over the ornate murals painted on the walls and the dark polished side tables, and Kurt couldn't help but think of how his own school was no match for the grandeur of Dalton. He quickened his steps when he realized he and Sebastian were falling behind from Blaine, who only turned around to smile briefly in their direction before walking on.

They had visited Mrs Frederick earlier that afternoon and it was a reunion that Kurt was glad to have witnessed. Mrs Frederick had cried tears of delight and Blaine had hugged her very tightly while also expressing his amusement at how small she looked standing next to him. They had also visited the Headmaster, however Kurt had remained standing by the doorway shyly with Sebastian while Blaine and the older man shook hands and conversed.

Now they were walking through a very familiar hallway and there were less than a handful of students that they had passed, neither of them commenting on Kurt and the cat, and Kurt had realized that they hadn't recognized Blaine either. It was late afternoon so Kurt had guessed that they had been on their way to their dormitories to commence their homework.

Blaine stopped in front of two doors that housed murmurs and chatter of voices from the other side. He took a deep breath and pushed them open, Kurt following behind with Sebastian.

The roomful of boys in navy blazers in the room were silent for a split second before they exploded in cries and shouts, and even squeals, Kurt noted, before they all rushed towards Blaine. Blaine was surrounded by Warblers giving him squeezing hugs and messing up his hair.

'You're so big now!'

'How'd you grow so quickly overnight?'

'Ha, still smaller than us, though!'

Kurt stood back a little and took in the sight of Blaine in their midst, laughing and talking back to the Warblers excitedly. Kurt himself received a few polite greetings from the boys which he returned, and after Trent had let go of Blaine, he walked over to him.

'And who's this?' Trent asked, looking down at Sebastian.

'This is Sebastian,' Kurt said, as more Warblers gathered around them.

'Stunning,' Trent replied, stroking Sebastian's shiny white coat. Kurt felt Sebastian preening in his arms at the compliment.

'He's on his best behavior today,' Blaine said, sandwiched between Jeff and Nick.

'I believe this is the second instance of a domesticated cat paying a visit to Dalton, not since Smokey the tortoiseshell in 1948,' Wes said, patting Sebastian's head carefully.

'He would get a lot of attention, that is for certain,' Thad said, watching the cat as he stood near Blaine. 'Daily petting would come at the top of the list.'

Kurt felt Sebastian shift in his arms as his ears twitched.

'He would have plenty of room to roam the grounds and keep the mice at bay,' said David, somewhere behind Blaine. 'They have been discovered in the library yet again.'

'But he would not be allowed to stray far,' Wes replied. 'I have knowledge of a cattery a few streets from here.'

Sebastian shifted again, more forcefully this time, and Kurt had to hold him tighter so as to not lose his grip on him.

'That shouldn't be a problem,' David replied. 'I have been told that they only house male cats there.'

Now Sebastian was trying to squirm out of Kurt's arms and meowing piteously as he pawed at the air. Kurt struggled to keep him held.

'But we can't just take him away from Kurt,' Trent said, though he was glancing at Sebastian hopefully.

'Actually, he's the family's cat,' Kurt replied. 'And I don't think they would mind him being taken off their hands for a little while. Just as long as you don't feed him too much. He's getting a little heavy.'

Kurt didn't miss the glare that Sebastian shot him.

'I'll make sure of that,' Blaine said, placing a hand to his chest. 'You have my word.'

'So, does that mean he can stay with us?' Jeff asked, excitement in his voice.

'Really?' Nick added.

'Of course,' Kurt said. 'I think he's made up his mind already.' He held Sebastian up a little higher so that they were face to face.

'You're a pain in my side and the bane of my existence,' he muttered, loud enough for only the cat to hear. 'But I'm still going to miss you.' He had a strange feeling in his stomach but he pushed the thought of it aside as he ducked down to plant a kiss to the top of Sebastian's head. Sebastian stared up at him with unblinking eyes before nuzzling his nose against Kurt's jaw, meowing softly. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt could see Blaine smiling at both of them. He gave the cat a swift cuddle before placing him on the floor.

'Sebastian, welcome to the Warblers,' Wes said. Sebastian merely glanced up at him before stalking over to one of the plush leather chairs and hopping up on to it. He sat down and eyed the other boys in the room, watching them like a king waiting to be entertained by his court. Kurt thought he looked at home already.

'We've got something for you,' Trent said to Blaine, and Kurt hadn't noticed that Trent had left his side. Trent held up a navy blazer and Blaine laughed, letting the Warbles assist him with putting it on and doing up the buttons.

Blaine smoothed it down before glancing at Kurt. 'What do you think?' he asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

Kurt nodded his approval. 'Looking good,' he said and Blaine grinned before the other Warblers began talking and fussing over him again. All of the boys in the room were surrounding Blaine now except for one. Kurt kept his distance, not wanting to take Blaine's moment of reuniting with his peers away from him. The feeling in his stomach returned and Kurt now understood what it was.

Kurt wasn't saying goodbye to Blaine, not really. It was more of a parting for now. There was the loss of not seeing each other every day, but there were weekends and phone calls and Facetime and the fact that Blaine (and now Sebastian) would be returning to spend the summer holidays with his family. It did still feel like a loss to Kurt. It was as if there was an invisible line separating them in the room; Kurt standing on one side and Blaine and the rest of the boys on the other.

Blaine must have noticed it too, because he was looking back at Kurt and frowning and it wasn't long before a hush fell over the room. A smile suddenly graced his lips and he motioned for the Warblers to gather around him again. They stood together in a huddle with Blaine disappearing from view somewhere in the middle, but Kurt could hear Blaine whispering something. When they broke apart, Blaine was grinning at him.

'Kurt, we think you should see a Warblers' performance the way we rehearsed it, with another voice thrown into the mix,' he said, as the Warblers got into position behind him. He was about to move back with them but Nick, Jeff and Thad pushed him forward. 'And singing lead, I guess,' he said, a little embarrassed as the boys tried to stifle their laughter behind him. 'So this is for you.'

A few Warblers at the back began to harmonize their voices before Blaine stepped forward to sing, and Kurt felt himself smiling because he recognized the song instantly.

'_You think I'm pretty, without any makeup on…'_

Watching the happiness play on Blaine's face as he performed with the other Warblers, Kurt didn't find it difficult at all to brush his own feelings of sadness aside when the boy who was the very embodiment of joy was serenading him with song.

…

It was a warm, sunny day in early June with the rarest of fluffy white clouds hanging about, but Blaine found himself inside in Kurt's bedroom. Sebastian was taking a nap on the windowsill, his tail curled around himself as he dozed. Blaine was feeling particularly relieved today as he was still riding his high from yesterday; it was over coffee at the Lima Bean that he finally told Kurt that he loved him.

Now he was lying on his side on Kurt's bed, his head on a pillow. Kurt was lying opposite him, his sock-clad feet nudging against Blaine's bare ones. They'd shared light touches and smiles and Eskimo kisses for the better part of the afternoon (the better part being after Sebastian had fallen asleep once he had tired of nagging them to pet him; Blaine knew that he'd become much too spoilt at Dalton), but now there was just quiet conversation between the two of them.

'I don't know,' Kurt was saying, shaking his head. 'I was too upset when you almost drowned so I honestly can't remember what I would have said to break the curse.' He slowly massaged Blaine's foot with his own. 'Have you given the other thing any more thought? I mean, I don't want to pressure you, and neither does the rest of the family.'

'I have,' Blaine said. 'But I'm still working out the finer details.'

'Well, you'll have until the end of August to decide,' Kurt said. 'It is a big decision.'

Blaine nodded. Burt and Carole had expressed their interest in becoming his legal guardians (something that both Kurt and Finn were very enthusiastic about) but they told him it was his decision. He could stay at Dalton, or enroll at a public school closer to the family, with the promise that his fellow Warblers and Mrs Frederick could visit as often as they wished. While he had his own family of orphans at Dalton, Burt and Carole's house felt more like home now. They had set Blaine up in the spare bedroom downstairs for the time being, but Blaine only used the room for sleep; the rest of the time he spent was with Kurt.

'Are you going to be that generous and give me all that time to think about it?' Blaine asked, teasing him. 'Because I have a feeling that you'll make me decide long before then.'

'Well…I can be very persuasive,' Kurt said, his blue eyes trained on Blaine's to watch his reaction as he slid his hand across the bed to stroke his fingers down Blaine's arm.

They had both matured, in some sense. The time spent apart, broken only by the rare weekend visit, had somehow contributed to that, notwithstanding Blaine growing overnight. Blaine himself had shed some of that childlike desire to please everyone around him, even strangers, but he was still polite as ever and never failed to make Kurt laugh when he needed it. Kurt himself was making him laugh more often these days and Blaine never thought that they would even get to exchange teasing banter as often as they had been. But there they were.

'Oh, I certainly believe it,' Blaine said, inching closer until their noses touched. He was about to lean even closer to touch their lips together too, but Burt's voice at the foot of the stairs promptly put a stop to that.

'_Kurt, I could use your help in the garage!'_ Then, after a pause: _'You too, Blaine!'_

Both boys groaned in frustration.

'_Okay, Dad!'_ Kurt called back as he rolled away from Blaine with a sigh. At the same time, Kurt's loud voice had caused Sebastian to jump up and topple off the windowsill. He snuffed in indignation before trotting over to Kurt's bed and hopping up on to it.

'Hey!' Kurt protested as Sebastian scrambled on top of him. He tried to bat him away, but Sebastian sat resolutely on top of the boy's chest.

'That's for waking me up with your shrill screeching,' Sebastian said, his tail thumping against Kurt's arm. 'Now take me downstairs.'

'Nuh-uh, not a chance with that catty attitude,' Blaine replied, picking up Sebastian as he slipped off the bed and placing him on the carpet. He pulled a disgruntled Kurt off the mattress and herded him towards the door.

'So much for having the whole summer ahead of us,' Kurt huffed as he reluctantly trudged out of the room.

'We'll still have it,' Blaine reassured him. 'Except we will also get to share it with your dad, and your stepmom, and your stepbrother, and our needy cat.'

Sebastian watched them go as a warm, fuzzy feeling settled in his belly. He wasn't sure what it was, but it felt kind of…nice. Seeing that the bed was free, he hopped up to the mattress and snuggled into the warm patch where his owners had been lying a minute before. Like Blaine, he would be happy to spend all of summer here too. But unlike Blaine, he had already made up his mind. When the Warblers reconvened for their first meeting of the new school year at Dalton, Sebastian wanted to be among them.


	26. Epilogue & Story Notes

**Author's note:** We have finally come to the end of my little writing project, which has kept me busy in the second half of the year. My plan was to get to at least 40,000 words and I was hoping to receive around 40 reviews along with it, and I have reached that. Thank-you to everyone that has left reviews, and a special thanks to those that have reviewed more than once. I have added a little reference and notes section after the epilogue for my own amusement, and it's not necessary to read through it but it gives a bit of background to the story. Without further ado, here is the last part of Blaine Little.

* * *

When Blaine Anderson arrived at William McKinley High School on the very first day of the school year, no-one quite knew what to make of him. He wore a bow tie, no socks and had his hair gelled back, but he was pleasant and easy to talk to. He was a little on the shorter side for boys of his age, but that only added to his appeal; the girls thought he was "very cute."

Fall had truly settled in by the time that classes had begun again, but it was still warm enough to go outside without a scarf or a beanie. Even so, there was one student that carried a red beret on his head. His name was Kurt Hummel, and while Blaine have given the beret to him as a gift, Kurt had insisted that he had every right to wear it too, as it belonged to Blaine's mother. So they agreed to take it in turns to wear it. Today was Kurt's turn.

'Nervous?' the boy with the beret, and the taller of the two boys walking through the school doors, had asked.

'Just a little,' Blaine had replied. 'But it's not a bad thing.'

They knew that they couldn't really hold hand as it would bring unwanted attention. So they settled for walking closely side by side, brushing against each other occasionally as they conversed all the way to Blaine's locker. Not everyone seemed pleased with the new addition to the school. A group of large, burly boys in letterman jackets were making their way down the hallway, causing fearful students to step out of their path quickly. They were carrying cups of an icy drink concoction mixed with a flavored syrup, and those unlucky to receive one in the face were forever trying to scrub the stains out of their clothing. The term for this was affectionately known to the students and faculty of the school as having been "slushied."

In the time it took for Blaine to place his satchel in his locker and snap it shut, he was facing four of the letterman-jacket boys who were determined to demonstrate that term to the new kid in the school and the boy standing beside him.

'Hey fairies!'

Kurt closed his eyes, as he had been accustomed to do in these situations. But when he opened them, he noticed that neither he nor Blaine were covered head to toe in the cold, sticky substance. Instead, the letterman-jacket boys who had thrown the cups at them had their contents returned back to their faces. They stood in the middle of the hallway, blinking at each other in shock as the icy-cold liquid dripped down from their now-sticky hair.

'_L-Let's get out of here!_' one of them stuttered, and soon the foursome were running back through the hallway from where they came, slipping and sliding and leaving small puddles of grape-colored liquid in their wake.

Kurt looked at Blaine, who simply shrugged and said, 'I'm half-fairy, remember?'

Suddenly the bell rang throughout the school, signaling the commencement of classes. Forgetting all about the stares and titters that the act might cause, Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand.

'Come on, I know a shortcut.'

The smaller boy was lead past hallways and classrooms until they turned into a part of the school that seemed currently unoccupied by most students. Kurt peered into one room before pushing Blaine inside and shutting the door. The classroom was empty and Blaine knew that he hadn't been brought to his History lesson.

'Kurt, I think we've got the wrong…' he began, but then he stopped himself when Kurt crowded him against one of the desks and leaned forward. _'Oh.'_

He welcomed the other boy's warms lips on his and he wrapped his arms around Kurt's shoulders as he kissed him back, humming his approval. Knowing that he wouldn't get another chance to kiss his boyfriend until after they had returned home from school, Blaine didn't pull back straight away. They were both breathless by the time they removed themselves from each other.

'Your first class is around the corner…second door from your left,' Kurt said, breathing shallowly. 'See you at recess.'

Blaine watched Kurt go with a wistful expression before he composed himself and walked over to his History class. He had an audition with the school's glee club that afternoon and Kurt promised Blaine that he would be a shoe-in with his combination of singing talent and good looks. Little did Blaine know that it would mark the beginning of his next adventure.

_Fin._

…

**Story Notes**

References to _Stuart Little_ (novel and movie):

- The first line in the prologue and epilogue follow the same structure as the first line in the book.  
- Mrs Frederick is named after Mrs Frederick Little, also referred to as Mrs Little who is Stuart's mother and Frederick, Stuart's father.  
- Sebastian is a white Persian cat that is similar to the Littles housecat, Snowbell, except he flirts with Blaine rather than tries to get rid of him.  
- Jesse St James entering the house is similar to what occurs in the movie, except Kurt stops him before he gets a chance to see Blaine.  
- Stuart has a bird-friend called Margalo in the novel, whom I have substituted Pavarotti for Blaine.  
- There is an illustration in my edition of the novel where Stuart is in sailor uniform, and I thought tiny Blaine would look cute in a sailor costume.  
- Blaine coming down with a cold that takes two weeks to recover from in Chapter XIV is a reference to a scene in the book. Like the Littles, the Hummel-Hudson family keep him company with different activities.  
- Blaine living at an orphanage (Dalton) is a reference to Stuart's similar living arrangements in the movie.  
- The cat named 'Smokey' that Wes refers to in Chapter XXIV is also the name of the chief alley cat in the movie.

References to other literature:

- In Chapter VIII, Blaine is reading _Charlotte's Web,_ another E.B. White novel. He also says 'Salutations' to Kurt in Chapter III that Charlotte the spider says to greet Wilbur the pig. Like the book, Kurt hears Blaine's voice before he sees him.  
- Blaine shrinking and growing out of the dollhouse is slightly reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's _Alice in Wonderland._  
- Blaine being half-fairy is an indirect reference to part fairies mentioned in Chris Colfer's _The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell._

References to _Glee:_

-'Come on, I know a shortcut.' – Kurt's line to Blaine in the epilogue is a reference to the same line Blaine says to Kurt on the Dalton staircase in the episode _Never Been Kissed._  
- Kurt sings _Blackbird_ to Blaine in Chapter XIX like in the episode _Original Song_ except Blaine is the one who is upset at Pavarotti's passing.  
- Blaine's date with Rachel where they both dress up and Kurt's eventual confession to Blaine in Chapter XV are slight references to the episodes _Blame It on the Alcohol_ and _Silly Love Songs_ respectively.  
- Blaine's discussion with Burt in the garage and Kurt receiving pamphlets in Chapters XVI-XVII are references to the episode _Sexy._  
- The brooch that Blaine gives to Kurt is similar to the ring made out of Juicy Fruit wrappers that Blaine gives Kurt in the cut scene from _Extraordinary Merry Christmas._

Plot notes:

- The fire-tipped rose (yellow rose with red tips) that Blaine gives Kurt on their date in Chapter XVIII symbolizes friendship to falling in love, something that Blaine was oblivious of when he gave the rose to Kurt.  
- The curse that Blaine's mother directed towards his father was twofold: along with calling him a 'little man', she also mentioned 'No-one will ever be yours.' It was Kurt who broke the curse unknowingly when he said to Blaine 'I'm all yours.' Brittany was on the right track with her suggestion to the boys in Chapter XII. It didn't come into effect for Blaine until after the clock struck midnight, the same time the curse was made.  
- There are mentions of Blaine disliking the cold because it reminded him of the night he was abandoned by his father. He was also more likely to feel the cold because of his small size but that changes when he transforms to his normal size and isn't wearing socks or a sweater, indicating that he is warm enough.  
- Blaine kissing Kurt on the cheek and noting 'I've always wanted to do that' in Chapter XXII refers back to the prologue where Blaine 'often wished he was tall enough to reach up and kiss someone.'  
- The warm, fuzzy feeling that Sebastian experiences in Chapter XXIV after Blaine acknowledges that he is one of Sebastian's owners is love, except he doesn't recognize it. It also indicates that Blaine is officially a part of the family.  
- Some of Blaine's abilities born from being the son of a fairy include: the ability to understand and talk to animals, finding himself transported to another place with no knowledge of how he got there and deflecting thrown slushies.


End file.
